Mum tells how slimming helped her to combat post natal depression

Mum-of-two Sara McCarthy suffered with post natal depression (PND) after the birth of her son Kieron 20 months ago.

Mrs McCarthy, aged 33, ballooned to a size 20 and weighed 12st 10lb spiralling into depression and using food for comfort.

After seeing her mother-in-law losing weight, Mrs McCarthy was encouraged to join the same slimming group in Atherton.

Three months later she finally felt confident enough to go to her GP to discuss post natal depression and get some help.

Now 10 months on, Sarah is four stones lighter, a size 10 and is no longer on medication for PND.

In support of Mental Health Awareness week, Mrs McCarthy has launched her own slimming group in Lostock, Bolton, to support others on their weight loss journey.

Mrs McCarthy, from Atherton said: "For months I struggled on, feeling fat, worthless and miserable.

"I don't mean this in a cheesy way or anything like that but the slimming group literally saved my life — because I was just so low.

"If we were going on family days out I couldn't even fit in the middle seat in the back of the car — we had to do two trips.

"I couldn't go to the theme park with my children for fear I wouldn't fit in the seat rides or down the slide at the park — I was just so embarrassed.

"It took me eight months to pluck up the courage to go to the group at Atherton, but I've never looked back."

Mrs McCarthy says she now feels like a completely different person: "I no longer need medication. I now have so much energy and can actually run around and enjoy my one-year-old and two-year-old boys."

She said she deliberately launched her slimming group in Mental Health Awareness week: "I'm so ready to help other people lose weight, get to where they want to be and and change their lives like it has for me. I don't want anyone to feel ashamed of mental illness."

Mrs McCarthy's Slimming World group meets on Wednesdays at 5pm and 7pm at Lostock Parish Centre in Tempest Road, Bolton.