Great-gran sees incredible 6st weight loss after ditching daily glasses of wine

A great-grandma has shared her incredible 6st (38kg) weight loss after overhauling her diet and ditching her daily glasses of wine.

Angela Dimmer, 77, from Bristol, says she decided to switch up her lifestyle after seeing her weight creep up to 17st 2lbs (109kg) following the loss of her late husband, John, in 2007.

While she previously enjoyed a few large glasses of wine every evening alongside her favourite fish and chip takeaway, Dimmer decided to take action after noticing her health had started to decline, leaving her struggling to walk and with a diabetes diagnosis.

Now, however, she says she has a new lease of life after reaching a healthier 11st 2lbs (71kg) and seeing her diabetes reverse.

"I've always been on the bigger side, but when I lost my husband, my weight kept creeping up," she explains.

Read more: Woman attributes 7st weight loss to Cambridge Diet: How does the popular plan work?

While she used to have an alcohol-free Monday, Dimmer says she'd enjoy a few glasses of wine every other day of the week and perhaps more on weekends.

"I'd probably have about four bottles of wine a week," she says.

"I didn't eat particularly unhealthy foods, but I would have large portions and would treat myself to my favourite takeaways, including fish and chips and McDonald's breakfasts."

But Dimmer says the weight gain ended up causing her pain and leaving her unable to stand for very long.

"I started to realise I couldn't walk," she adds. "I even ended up being diagnosed with diabetes."

As well as her health, her size started to have an impact on her self-esteem.

"I would buy big clothes to try and hide my figure," she says.

"I hated going into shops and not knowing if anything would fit me. I was a size 22-24, and it was hard to find anything that I liked."

The turning point came when Dimmer decided she wanted to lose weight for an upcoming holiday to Dubai.

"I wanted to be able to put the tray down without my belly getting in the way," she explains.

"But I also realised it was about time that I did something about my weight once and for all."

Read more: Woman sees incredible 10st weight loss after being embarrassed about her size in a picture

Within the first week of starting the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan, Dimmer lost an impressive 7.5lbs, and by the time she went away on holiday five months later she'd lost an impressive 3st.

She says that it was a huge incentive to see her dress size and weight decrease on the scales.

"Thankfully I have good willpower, so when I say I am going to do something, I just do it," she says. "It meant I found it easy to stick to my plan."

Read more: Scientists pinpoint the one thing that can guarantee weight loss

And Dimmer says the impact has been "life-changing".

"I can now do a four-mile walk three times a week, and I have joined a gym where I go to aqua fit classes and circuit training classes," she explains.

"Now I can't sit down for too long now because I feel guilty and I like to be out walking."

Watch: Weight loss can put type 2 diabetes in remission for 'at least five years'

Her weight loss has had an impact on her shopping habits too.

"It's wonderful to be able to walk into clothes shops and buy what I like," she explains. "I am now wearing size 12s, which I never imagined would be possible.

"I also wear things that I never would have chosen before, and it was so fun buying myself a whole new wardrobe."

Dimmer is sharing her story in a bid to help show people that it's never too late to change your life.

"I think it is amazing that I have been able to do this at this stage of my life," she says. "I did it for different reasons, such as my health rather than aesthetics, but the way my body looks now is a bonus.

"I'm so much more active now and I am so happy I have been able to reverse my diabetes.

"I feel brilliant."

Read more: Incredible 9st weight loss for woman bruised after getting stuck in plane seat

Diet before

Breakfast: Skip breakfast

Lunch: Tuna sandwich with a packet of Walkers crisps

Dinner: Large portion of fish and chips from a chip shop

Snacks: Calorific yoghurt, glasses of wine, and crisps in the evening

Diet after

Breakfast: Skip breakfast

Lunch: Cuppa soup and Cambridge Weight Plan bar

Dinner: Low-calorie ready meal or chicken and vegetable

Snacks: Low-calorie hot chocolate, Cambridge Weight Plan bar, and drinks water and black coffee throughout the day.

Additional reporting Caters.