A 30-YEAR-old super slimmer from Gunnislake has reached the semi-finals of a competition to find the UK and Ireland’s most successful female slimmers, after losing a life-changing 6st 12lbs.

Charlotte Slater secured her place in the semi-final of Slimming World’s Woman of the Year 2022 competition after members from her Callington group voted her as their representative in the annual contest.

She was then delighted to be one of 37 women from across the UK and Ireland invited to share her story at Slimming World head office in Derbyshire and be in with a chance of taking the overall title.

Charlotte, who slimmed from 17st 0.5lbs to 10st 1.5lbs, said a new food optimising plan showed her a way of eating that fitted so easily around her life, without her ever feeling hungry or like she was missing out or restricting herself.

‘Throughout my weight loss journey I’ve been able to still enjoy all my favourite meals like spaghetti bolognese, Mexican dishes and stir-fries I just prepared and cooked them differently,’ she said.

‘The best thing is that I feel confident that I’ve formed new healthy habits that will stick with me, like filling my plate with plenty of veg and cooking without lots of added oils and fats.

‘These new habits have enabled me to finally take control of my weight and find the confidence I’ve been lacking all these years – it doesn’t feel like an uphill struggle anymore.’

Charlotte said her new-found confidence started her thinking about ways she could become more active and now enjoyed dog walking and coastal walks on tricky terrain, Body Pump and weightlifting classes.

Charlotte added that a Slimming World programme helped her to gradually increase how much she was doing and how often, so she could take it up a gear at a pace that worked for her.

She said that the supportive environment of her slimming group had been key to her success.

‘The group really made me feel welcome from the very first day I joined. We share tips and recipe ideas and cheer each other on when we need it – and even when we don’t realise we do.

‘Ultimately, when I was at my lowest ebb it was a place I felt safe, included and free to be myself. My consultant Rachel has been amazing and really helped me to believe in myself and stay motivated, too.

‘At the start of my journey if you’d have told me I would be representing my group at the finals of Slimming World’s Woman of the Year competition, feeling the way I do, I would have laughed. I still can’t believe this is my reality.’

Rachel Hilborn, who runs the Callington Slimming World group that Charlotte attends, added: ‘Charlotte’s incredible transformation has inspired so many of her fellow slimmers and she gives them so much support each week, so when it came down to voting for our group’s Woman of the Year it was really lovely to see so many people supporting her and putting her forward. We couldn’t be prouder of her.

Unfortunately, Charlotte wasn’t the overall winner of the competition. Slimming World’s Woman of the Year 2022 will be announced in the coming months.