A mum-of-two who was diagnosed with high cholesterol in her early 20s has turned her health around after losing 3st 4lbs with Slimming World – and has been at target for an amazing 21 years.

Shelly Willetts, 51, from Brecon, gained weight after leaving school when a new-found independence and love for socialising with her friends meant her weight crept up. Following the birth of her two children Shelly’s weight continued to rise, until a relocation to Portugal inspired her to join Slimming World and take control of her weight for good.

Now over two decades on, Shelly is back in the UK, a Slimming World Consultant herself and is celebrating being named Slimming World’s Top Target Consultant 2022. This is a competition which celebrates Consultants who have been successful in maintaining their target weight.

Shelly says: “I ate really healthily as a child but as I got older I had a lot more freedom when it came to the food I ate – and on top of that I was going out every weekend with my friends.

“I was diagnosed with high cholesterol in my early 20s after being checked out due to family history, which was a bit worrying given that I was so young. My dad suffered a heart attack in his early 30s and my nan died of a heart attack in her late 50s, so the potential impact on my own health was definitely on my mind. I was given a choice to either take statins or to lose weight. I knew I wanted to go down the natural route, but it was a number of years before I found the courage to tackle my weight problem.”

Soon after her second child was born Shelly’s husband, Paul, a Warrant Officer in the Royal Navy, was drafted to Portugal. She says: “The first thing I thought was “I’m going to spend the next three years in a bikini” and instead of being excited, I was horrified. I didn’t even like what I saw in the mirror when I was fully clothed, so I knew I had to do something about my weight once and for all.”

In March 2001, weighing 12st 7lbs and wearing a dress size 16, Shelly joined her first-ever Slimming World group. She says: “Walking into the group was a little daunting, but I went along with my sister-in-law, so we had each other. Looking back though I would have been fine on my own, I soon realised there was no need for me to worry. I’d found a group of people who all wanted to achieve the same thing, and everyone was so friendly and supportive – there was always someone to turn to if you needed help or advice.”

Shelly learned about Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan, which enables slimmers to lose weight without hunger or restriction. The plan encourages members to fill up on a wide variety of healthy everyday foods – like fresh fruit and veg, lean meat and poultry, fat free dairy, pasta, rice and grains.

Shelly says: “There was so much choice, which meant I could tailor the plan to the way I like to eat. I loved that I could still enjoy lightened up versions of my favourite meals, like Sunday roast dinners and pasta bakes. And I could still eat carbs!

“As the plan is based on normal, everyday foods Paul could enjoy the same healthy meals – there are no separate ‘slimming’ dinners! I also learned the best choices to make when eating out, so I was still able to socialise with family and friends, too.”

Five months later Shelly hit her target ready for the family’s departure to Portugal, losing 3st 4lbs and slimming to a size 10. And she did indeed spend three years in a bikini! She says: “I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Portugal, the weather was beautiful and for the first time in a long time, I felt really happy and confident.”

On her return, Shelly worked for the NHS until she decided to become a full-time Slimming World Consultant. She says: “I absolutely love being a Consultant. Helping people develop new healthy habits and seeing them change is so rewarding. It’s such a special feeling to see a member who was once shy and unconfident blossom into a chatty, confident person who is just full of life. I feel so lucky to have a job which doesn’t really feel like work at all.

“Being part of that group environment really helps me to keep my own weight loss on track too and I always make sure I weigh in regularly to keep myself on track. I get so much inspiration from all of my members, as well as on the Slimming World app and magazine. Even after 21 years, I’m still learning!”

Shelly also credits a love of activity for her success in staying at her target weight for so long and is a keen runner. Slimming World encourages its members to incorporate activity into their daily lives with its Body Magic programme, which helps beginners to get going at their own pace – and encourages members who are already active to take it to a whole new level.

When lockdown struck in 2020, Shelly discovered a love for the outdoors and believes that her running helped her through a tough time in her life.

Shelly describes the past few months as being the hardest she’s faced in the 21 years she’s been at target.

She says: “I sadly lost my dad to Covid in September 2021. He did have some underlying conditions that were weight-related, which was very upsetting. It’s safe to say the last few months have been the most difficult of all my years at target, but the support of my family, friends and Slimming World family has helped me to continue to make better choices for my health.”

After such a hard year Shelly is delighted to be named Slimming World’s Top Target Consultant 2022.

She says: “I never expected to win a competition. Walking through the doors of my Slimming World group was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Since then, I’ve found wonderful friends, endless support and a career that I love. And most importantly, I’ve found everything I need to stay slim and healthy for life – which is the best gift I could give myself.”