Mum who hid behind Snapchat filters now looks unrecognisable

A mum whose weight left her so self-conscious she struggled to leave the house has revealed how she managed to shed more than nine stone.

Leah Gill’s unhealthy relationship with food meant she constantly fluctuated between binge eating and eating nothing at all.

The 34-year-old, from Stockport, always opted for beige oven food alongside eating whatever her children had left on their plates.

READ MORE: 'I gorged on five takeaways a WEEK - what my son did changed everything'

Her unhealthy habits meant the mum-of-six also developed asthma – the condition being so severe she had to use an inhaler multiple times a day and caught chest infections several times a month.

And the school club supervisor wasn’t just suffering physically. The mum, who was a dress size 24, felt so embarrassed about her size she avoided going out and hid behind baggy clothes.

But she eventually decided to turn things around for good ahead of a family holiday – fearing she would need to ask for a seatbelt extender on the plane.

Signing up to Slimming World in September 2023, Leah watched as the weight dropped off – eventually shedding an incredible 9st 3.5lbs. The mum is now a dress size 10 and weighs in at 12st 3lb.

“I started because I knew I was so unhealthy,” Leah told the Manchester Evening News. “I struggled with really bad asthma to the point every month I was getting chest infections and having to go on steroids and antibiotics.

“I was on the blue inhaler numerous times a day, the brown one when needed and I also had a steroid one morning and night.

“The kids liked going on walks at the weekend but I couldn’t walk to the end of the street without being out of breath and needing to use my inhaler.

“I could never walk in (a shop) and pick up any nice clothes and even when I got something I never liked it on me - I just never felt like I looked or felt nice.

“I avoided nights out because I could never find anything nice to wear, I would constantly live in the same thing leggings and a massively baggy jumper to try and hide myself away.”

Leah can recall feeling so upset by her appearance she once broke down crying after seeing a photo of herself and always hid behind Snapchat filters.

“I avoided the camera because I absolutely hated how fat I thought I looked on pictures,” she added.

“I wanted our first family holiday to be made of memories. I wanted to be able to things that I would never have been able to do when I was at my biggest and I wanted to be part of the photos for my children's memories.

“One of the ‘before’ photos was taken before I decided to start losing weight, and it was one of the things that pushed me to make a change.

“I remember being shown the photo, crying and obsessing over how horrible I looked. I would avoid the camera, and honestly, I hated any photos of myself if they were taken.

“If I did have photos taken, I would use Snapchat with a filter to avoid looking as bad. Looking back on my weight loss journey and trying to find ‘before’ photos, I’ve realised I don’t have many because I always avoided them. What’s more upsetting is that I haven’t got many photos with my children to capture those memories.”

Leah puts her success down to attend Slimming World classes, walking to work, meal planning and going to aqua aerobics classes.

“When you have a big family like mine, it can be hard, especially when not everyone eats the same things. But every Sunday, I sit down to plan for the week and do my online shopping, so I only buy what I need. I have a meal planner that I follow weekly.

“Health-wise, this has been a massive benefit for me. I mentioned that I struggled massively with asthma and chest infections, which stopped me from doing things. I haven’t used any of my inhalers in well over six months – even when exercising or walking, I don’t need it.

“I haven’t needed antibiotics or steroids for nearly a year. I can now exercise without worry. I’ve never been a confident person anyway, and I still struggle with my confidence, but losing weight has definitely helped me massively. I’ve gone from not wanting any pictures taken of me to now not being bothered by them, and I don’t use any filters.

“Mentally, it has had such a positive effect as well. I feel better within myself and don’t feel like it’s holding me back from life. I can walk into a shop and buy anything I like, not feeling like I need to hide myself away or worry that I wouldn’t look right in it.”

And Leah says she managed to go on her family holiday without the need for a seatbelt extender.

“When we went on a family holiday in May, I didn’t need a seatbelt extender, and I’ve just recently been on holiday again,” she continued.

“We went to theme parks – something I’ve never been able to do before because I could never fit, or if I did, it was so uncomfortable. But this time, I was fine, with loads of room.

“It’s not been an easy journey and has included a lot of tears and effort, but one thing I’ve never done is give up. I’ve kept going, and it’s paid off.

“It’s given me the chance to have photos with my children, go on holiday without worrying, and enjoy family walks.

“Now, Slimming World is just part of my life; it’s a lifestyle change that’s given me a completely different mindset when it comes to food.”