A Ballycroy mum is in the running for a national slimming award after shedding a whopping five and a half stone.
Mary Murray is one of 10 slimmers who will compete for the title of Unislimmer of the Year on April 18 in Croke Park, Dublin.
The 33-year-old said she started her weight loss journey after being diagnosed with high blood pressure. The health scare prompted her to set off on a healthy weight loss journey and she signed-up with her local Unislim Club in Belmullet.
Ms Murray said she was nervous starting out but found the right type of support and encouragement along the way.
“Stepping on the scales for the first time shocked me,” she said. “I couldn’t believe how overweight I had let myself become.
“I was expecting a telling off or a lecture, but instead my leader Maureen gave words of encouragement. She told me to take a good look at the numbers on the scale, because I would never see them again – and she was dead right – I never have.”
Ms Murray, who works with Western Care, said many things have changed in her life since achieving her new, slimmer, shape.
“I am now a happier, healthier, and more active person, something the old me could never have said,” she said. “Life is too short to sit on the sideline and watch it go by.”
Ms Murray put her success down to following her diet plan and making simple changes to her lifestyle such as tracking her food daily, drinking more water, and making healthy food swaps.
For more information on Unislim, visit www.unislim.com
