A mum and daughter from Hatfield Broad Oak have thanked their Slimming World group in Great Dunmow after losing six stone between them.

Jan Kidman, 62, was advised to lose weight by her GP as she suffers from sleep apnoea and was reliant on a CPAP machine to prevent her from stopping breathing while asleep.

Her daughter Hannah, 36, joined the group alongside her mum to support her, and because she also wanted to lose weight.

Jan, who started at 16 stone 2lb and now weighs 12 stone, 7.5lbs, said: "I'm definitely much more confident now.

"It’s important to have support around you, and by having Hannah and the group’s help it really made such a difference, and best of all is I’ve really enjoyed making that change as can eat as much as I like without any guilt, shame or deprivation."

Hannah started at 16 stone and now weighs 13 stone, 8lbs. She said: "I’m asthmatic, and the extra weight I was carrying used to really affect my breathing as it was much heavier and used to make me quite breathless.

"I also used to suffer with chronic headaches and indigestion. Since losing weight, my breathing is so much clearer and I’m free from the other symptoms as well."

Both Jan and Hannah were inspired to join the group after reading about Great Dunmow Slimming World consultant Kylie Da Silva, who runs the group, in the Dunmow Broadcast last January.

Jan said: "We’d seen how successful Kylie had been but realised that we’d need more support as couldn’t manage doing it alone at home so we decided to try joining Kylie’s Slimming World group and haven’t looked back!"

Thanks to her weight loss, Jan is no longer reliant on the CPAP machine to manage her sleep apnoea. The rate at which she stops breathing during her sleep has lowered from up to 28 times an hour to four-to-five times an hour.

Both mother and daughter have now taken up walking to stay healthy.

Jan added: "Slimming with Hannah has been great. We are both enjoying our new slimmer us and are now much more active too."

Kylie's Slimming World groups run on Tuesday evenings at 5.30pm and 7pm at the Dourdon Pavilion, and on Saturday mornings at 9am at the Rowena Davey Centre.

All are welcome to come along or contact Kylie on 07738 549835.