The two words that inspired mum's 13st weight loss
Watch: The two words that inspired mum’s 13st weight loss
A mum has shared how she was inspired to lose more than half her body weight after spotting the word's "morbidly obese" on her doctor's computer. Ali Ridgley, 52, a military mess manager from Plymouth, Devon, saw an incredible 13st (82kg) weight loss after catching a glimpse of her medical records during a routine check-up with her GP. "Seeing those words on my doctor’s screen spurred me into action," she explains. "I was a heart attack waiting to happen."
At her heaviest Ali weight almost 23st (145kg) and wore a dress size 30. "I knew my weight was a problem," she explains. "I’d always been bigger than my friends, but it wasn’t until I went to college and started socialising more that my weight began to climb. In 2018 my marriage broke down and I had a massive crisis of confidence. I tried to lose weight alone and would make some progress, however it would never be long before it came back on again."
The turning point came when Ali joined a local Slimming World group. "I’d been a member before, so I knew the plan worked for me," she explains. "I just needed to make that mental shift to fully embrace it this time. I did feel a bit jittery about re-joining, but there was no judgement, just encouragement and support from the start. When I weighed in, I realised I was the heaviest I had ever been. The person at the scales said to me 'don’t worry, that’s the last time you’ll see that number'. It was just the boost I needed."
Ali, who lives with her daughter Rosie, 24, got started on her weight loss journey by overhauling her eating habits. "I cook meals from scratch now and I’m so much more organised – which means I’m never tempted to eat something unhealthy when I’m on-the-go. I don’t feel like I’m on a diet and I’m never hungry because I’m still eating normal, everyday foods. My partner Dave has been so supportive too."
Ali says her new health eating regime works It works for the entire family. "I love that we can all enjoy the same meals," she explains. "We’re big foodies in our house and Rosie will often send me TikToks of recipes she wants to try. We go through the ingredients and see what we need to swap to make it Slimming World-friendly. We never feel like we’re missing out because we’re always trying new things. Hunter’s chicken lasagne is our current favourite."
As she started to see the pounds come off, Ali also managed to incorporate exercise into her daily routine. "At nearly 23st, exercise was a total no-go for me, but when I had lost 6st, I plucked up the courage to join a dance fitness class. I fell in love with it and ended up completing my diploma in exercise to music, so I now run my own classes twice a week. I also joined a local Couch to 5K group and recently signed up for a marathon.”
Having seen her weight fall to 9st 13½lbs and go from a dress size 30 to six, Ali was awarded the title of Slimming World’s Woman of the Year 2024. But its in her role as a new grandmother to her daughter Claudia's son Taran that Ali has really noticed her weight loss. "There are certain things I missed out on when raising my daughters because of my size," she explains. "I was often the mum on the sidelines holding the bags and not getting involved – and looking back that makes me feel so sad. I feel like being Taran’s nanny is a second chance for me – I’ll be fit, active and healthy enough to keep up with him and enjoy those early years."
Reflecting on her weight loss journey, Ali says she's feels "proud" of herself and "glad" she didn't go down the bariatric surgery route. "Each pound I’ve lost has helped me to become the confident, fit and strong woman I am today," she explains. "Ultimately, I started this journey because I wanted to live life to the fullest – and that’s what I feel I can do now. These days I’m not a heart attack waiting to happen. I’m the woman I always wanted to be."
Ali's diet before
Breakfast: White toast or cereal with butter
Lunch: Shop-bought baguette with crisps and chocolate
Dinner: Pie, mash and gravy
Snacks: Biscuits in the evening
Ali's diet after
Breakfast: Cereal with fruit and fat-free natural yogurt
Lunch: Usually leftovers, such as cottage pie and veg from the evening before
Dinner: Homemade hunters chicken lasagne or cheesy courgette baked risotto
Snacks: Slimming World high-fibre bars, glass of red wine, bar of chocolate
Read more about weight loss:
Alison Hammond reveals why she is 'frightened' of weight loss medications (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)
Nearly one in four Brits would take weight-loss jabs for free on NHS, poll finds (PA Media, 4-min read)
Man shares weight loss tricks that saw him drop 6st (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
