'Inspirational' Chesterfield mum-of-four who drank a 70ml bottle of vodka a day loses six stone and beats alcoholism and bipolar - thanks to Slimming World

Melissa said: “I wasn’t able to go the funeral because of Covid so I went to see my auntie afterwards and ended up collapsing because I had been drinking all day. I thought ‘I can’t do this – it’s no way to remember my uncle. I promised my husband that I’d not have any more beer and I haven’t touched a drop since.”

Mum-of-four Melissa’s last drink was in January 2021 – an amazing achievement for a woman who had drunk heavily for 14 years and described herself as a functioning alcoholic.

She said: “I’d always had a problem with alcohol – I just couldn’t go out for one drink, I had to have a load of drink. Covid made it worse….I was drinking a 70ml bottle of vodka a day. Part of it was boredom and part of it was because I liked having a drink. I was hiding it from my husband by going on a walk and just drinking.”

Melissa, who lives in Holmewood, was also battling with bipolar and her size. Drinking three litres of cider a day had seen her weight shoot up to 20 stone when she joined Slimming World at North Wingfield in 2019. Over the course of a year she managed to shed four stone but then the Covid pandemic hit and all face to face group meetings came to a halt. Melissa said: "I thought I’d do it at home but it didn’t work because I was moving the scales all around the house until I was the smallest weight. I ended up putting five stone back on and that caused my bipolar to be worse."

Four months after she gave up drinking, Melissa returned to Slimming World where she weighed in at 21st 3.5lb.

She shed the pounds by sacrificing her favourite food including cheesecake, chips and takeaways which she replaced with pizza topped chicken, salad and fruit. Melissa, 41, said: “At first I was losing weight every week but the past six months has been really hard to lose the last half-stone for my target weight.”

This week she hit her goal when she tipped the scales at 15st 3.5lbs and she’s determined to stick at that weight.

Melissa said: “Losing weight has helped immensely with bipolar. I’m most proud of my mental health clearing up and giving up alcohol; the weight loss is a bonus. If my story helps one person then I’ll be happy….if I can do it, anyone can.”

A healthy diet and daily walks including 10 miles on Sundays with her friend Sharon Dolby, also a Slimming World group member, is keeping Melissa’s weight in check.

Melissa, who has two grandsons, said: “I now enjoy wearing anything tight. I wear leggings and a vest for walks. I’ve got stylish ankle-grazing jeans; if I’d worn ripped jeans before I’d lost weight, I’d have looked like a piece of beef with my fat popping out of the little gaps. I’ve gone from a men’s 2XL size to a ladies’ medium.”

With her newfound confidence, Melissa has enrolled for driving lessons which she starts in June.

Slimming World consultant Gail Sharman said: “Melissa has been very determined throughout her whole weight loss journey, never been hungry and lost weight consistently! She has become a massive inspiration to her fellow slimmers at the North Wingfield Slimming World group. I am so proud of her.”