Ever since Caroline Waters shed three stone  after changing her eating habits, she’s found  a whole new way of life.

Since turning 50, Caroline, from Cuddington, had started to struggle with controlling  her weight, and a diet of pasta, chocolate  biscuits and apple pie combined with a lack  of exercise meant she constantly felt tired  and sluggish.

Her knees ached and she developed a ‘dowager's hump’ in her upper back.

But for Caroline  the crunch point came  when she  attended her father-in-law’s funeral.

She felt so embarrassed about her size that  she kept her coat on the whole time, even  though it was sweltering.

“It just wasn’t ‘me’ and that’s when I  realised I had to do something,” said Caroline, a headteacher’s PA at St John Bosco  Arts College in Liverpool.

“I had never tried a slimming club and had  always been able to control my weight but  somehow hitting 50 I lost the impetus to  watch what I ate, so I joined Slimming World  on my own.

“Claire and the group couldn’t have made  me feel more welcome and the meetings are  really fun and interesting and so supportive.”

And since joining and going from 13st6 to  10st, Caroline’s got a whole new outlook on  life.

“It was really easy to follow the plan and I  have never felt hungry as there is so much  choice and such lovely, simple recipes,” she  said.

“When tempted to eat something ‘naughty’ there is always an alternative treat that I can  have.

“On occasions I’ve ‘fallen off the wagon’  when going out for a celebratory meal, I  know that the day after is another day and I  can get easily get back on plan whereas  previously I would’ve just carried on eating  unhealthy food.

“I feel fitter and have so much more energy  than before and enjoy every day –  Slimming  World is a way of life and attending the group  meetings are lovely, social occasions with an  opportunity to meet really nice people who  are so supportive and have great tips and ideas.”

Caroline is featured in this month’s  Slimming World Magazine.