A mum who first decided to lose weight after feeling “middle-aged and frumpy” at the age of 25 is the star of a new TV advert for Weight Watchers.
Katie Rhodes, now 41, who twice battled the bulge before finally slimming down to a trim 10st 7lb, is appearing in adverts on screen throughout April. She was also on the cover of Weight Watchers’ January magazine.
Katie, who lives at Shelley, said she first began to put on weight in her early 20s – but it was during her second pregnancy that she knew she needed to make a change.
At just 25, Katie said she felt middle-aged and frumpy and – feeling self-conscious about her size – avoided going out altogether and turned to sweet treats for comfort.
She said: “I just wanted to feel sexy after having my children. A friend had joined Weight Watchers and having heard me moaning said it was great and that I should give it a go.”
Katie joined Weight Watchers at Kirkburton in 2003. After losing 2st 7lb to become a confident size 10-12, she trained to become a coach with Weight Watchers herself.
However, her third pregnancy saw some of the weight creep back on and the more unhappy Katie felt, the more she ate.
“I had been losing weight every week and I’d got to my goal weight,” she said. “Then I had my third child and it led to weight gain. I was working for Weight Watchers and psychologically I was struggling.”
However, in 2014, following a separation from her first husband and two years into a new relationship, Katie found love when builder Martin Rhodes, 45, proposed marriage.
With 4st to lose before her wedding day, Katie dropped from a size 16-18 and reached her goal in just under a year – meaning she fitted perfectly into her size 10 wedding dress.
Katie, who runs Weight Watchers classes six days a week at venues in Kirkburton, Shepley, Kirkheaton, Honley and Clayton West as well as the St Patrick’s Centre in Huddersfield, said the accent was on following a weight loss plan, cooking proper meals and making out proper lists.
“We also talk about exercise and encourage everyone to move around more,” she said. “The plan allows you to eat your favourite foods, sweet things and takeaways, but in moderation. I have a very bad chocolate habit and I’d live on it all day if I could!”
Katie, who has three children and two stepchildren, went to studios in London and Manchester to film her part in the adverts, saying: “It took me out of my comfort zone, but I really enjoyed it.”
And while her weight might fluctuate, she added: “I can keep around the weight I want to be. These days, I make time to meet friends for coffee or take my dogs for a walk. When I’m feeling positive about life, I feel positive about my body, too.”
