Fashion and Beauty: There is no quick fix for healthy weight loss says Charlotte Ryman

Jan 21 2010 by Hilarie Stelfox, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

SUPERMARKET assistant manager Charlotte Ryman joined a slimming club with one aim in mind – to throw away her size 26 wardrobe and get into size 16 clothes.

“I thought if I could get down to a 16 I would be so happy,” said the 38-year-old mother of three.

In fact, Charlotte, who lives in Kirkburton, did better than that. So far she has shed nearly 6 ½ stones and is currently a size 14. Her aim is now to be a 12, which is pretty good going for someone who had ballooned so much she could only buy her clothes in outsize shops. “When I got married in 2003 my wedding dress came from Evans,” she said.

For Charlotte, her battle with weight has been long and, at times, difficult. But it is, according to slimming club leader Dot Bush of Weight Watchers, an inspirational story.

“Charlotte joined the Weight Watchers meeting in Shepley in April, 2005, and seemed really eager to change her lifestyle. But when she returned after her first week and stood on the scales… horror… there was no weight loss, she had stayed exactly the same weight,” explained Dot.

“As you can imagine she was quite put out about this and very disappointed.”

But Dot, who leads groups in Holmfirth and Almondbury as well as Shepley, took Charlotte to one side: “I told her that everybody is different and many members have high expectations of what their weight loss should be. Some do lose a lot in their first week but that’s not always the case and it was no reason to quit.”

Charlotte went away and within the first eight weeks had shed a stone. After that she gradually chipped away at her weight problem, making changes to her lifestyle. Then a couple of years ago she started, in her own words, “messing about” with her diet and put 20lbs back on. It took persistence to get back on track but eventually she did and has never looked back.

Dot sees Charlotte as a role model for those who struggle to get to grips with healthier eating and believe they have failed if they don’t experience rapid weight loss or fall ‘off the wagon.’

“I think Charlotte has realised that perseverance rather than perfection is what is important and every little step you take, however small, is a step towards the new you,” she said.

Like many women, Charlotte says her weight problems really began when she had her first child Daniel, who is now 19.