A mother has been crowned Slimming World's Woman Of The Year after shedding more than half her body weight. Ali Ridgley, from Devon, England, was motivated to transform her lifestyle after seeing the concerning words "morbidly obese" on her doctor's computer.
"We're so excited to introduce Ali Ridgley, our Woman of the Year 2024. Losing an incredible 13 stone [82.5kg, 181 pounds] with Slimming World has helped her transform her life," the weight loss company wrote on Instagram.
Highlights
- Ali Ridgley lost over half her body weight, shedding 13 stone (82.5kg, 181 pounds).
- She transformed her life after seeing 'morbidly obese' on her doctor's screen.
- Ridgley became an exercise instructor and now runs her own dance classes.
"Knowing that there was no quick fix to losing weight, the healthy habits Ali has learnt along the way have been invaluable, and she's now living life to the fullest."
Image credits: Slimming World
Weighing nearly 23st (145kg, 320 pounds) at her heaviest, Ridgley got a very alarming wake-up call.
"Seeing the words on my doctor's screen spurred me into action. I was scared for my health, and felt like I was a heart attack waiting to happen.
"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."
Slimming World is a weight-loss program whereby people pay a yearly fee to attend weekly meetings with Slimming World Consultants who offer nutrition, fitness, and wellbeing advice.
Image credits: Alison Ridgley
Ridgley's weight loss journey began in 2019 when she joined Neil Fenton's Slimming World group in Southway after her marriage broke down and she had a "massive crisis of confidence," she wrote on the program's website.
"I knew my weight was a problem – I'd always been bigger than my friends, but it wasn't until I went to college and started socialising more that it began to climb.
"I tried to lose weight on my own and would make some progress, but it wouldn't be long before it went back on again.
"I'd been a Slimming World member before, so I knew the plan worked for me – I just needed to make that mental shift to stick at it this time."
Alison Ridgley, from Devon, England, was crowned Slimming World's Woman Of The Year after losing 13 stone [82.5kg, 181 pounds]
Image credits: Slimming World
Image credits: Slimming World
Although Ridgley admitted feeling "a bit jittery" about re-joining her Slimming World group, she said staff welcomed her "with open arms."
"There was no judgement. Just support and encouragement.
"When I weighed in, I realised I was the heaviest I'd ever been.
"The woman 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 – and you know what, she was right!"
Her weight-loss journey began in 2019 when she joined the program after seeing the words "morbidly obese" written on her doctor's screen
Image credits: Alison Ridgley
Image credits: Slimming World
The 52-year-old has since slimmed down to 9st 13½lbs, approximately 63 kg or 139 pounds. She began by changing her diet and eventually incorporated physical activity into her routine.
"Nowadays I cook meals from scratch and I'm so much more organised – I'm never tempted by unhealthy options when I'm on the go," said Ridley, who started Slimming World's healthy eating plan, Food Optimising.
"I don't feel like I'm on a diet and I'm never hungry because I'm eating normal, everyday foods. Cooking and eating the Slimming World way has become second nature to me – it's effortless."
Ridgley weighed nearly 145 kg (320 pounds) at her heaviest. Now, she has slimmed down to 63 kg (139 pounds)
Image credits: Slimming World
Image credits: Alison Ridgley
She added: "Each bit of weight I've lost has helped me to become the confident, fit and strong woman I am today, and I'm so proud of myself. I'm so glad I didn't go down the bariatric surgery route."
Bariatric surgery, also called weight loss surgery, is a category of surgical operations intended to help people with obesity lose weight.
These procedures work by modifying your digestive system — usually your stomach and sometimes your small intestine — to regulate how many calories you can consume and absorb, as per the Cleveland Clinic. They can also reduce the hunger signals that travel from your digestive system to your brain.
The dedicated mom changed her diet and began taking dance fitness classes
Image credits: Slimming World
Image credits: Slimming World
As Ridgley began to lose weight, she was able to add more movement to her daily routine.
"At my heaviest, exercise was a total no-go for me," she shared. "When I'd lost 6st (38kg, 83 pounds), I plucked up the courage to join a dance fitness class.
"I fell in love with it, and ended up completing a diploma in Exercise to Music. Now, I run my own classes twice a week!"
In addition to her dance classes, the Plymouth native also joined a local Couch to 5K group and recently signed up for a marathon.
The Plymouth native recently completed the Grand Canal Canter half marathon
Image credits: alisonridgley
Receiving support from her partner, Dave, and her 24-year-old daughter, Rosie, who lives with her, was crucial in encouraging her to stick to her goal.
"It works easily for us as a family, and I love that we can all enjoy the same meals. We're big foodies in our house and my daughter Rosie will often send me TikToks of recipes she wants to try.
"We go through the ingredients and see what we need to swap out to make it Slimming World-friendly," the mom wrote.
This year, her 29-year-old daughter, Claudia, welcomed a baby boy, Taran.
"When my daughter Claudia told me that she was pregnant, I was over the moon. When I was raising my daughters, there were certain things I missed out on because of my size – I was often the mum on the sidelines holding the bags and not getting involved.
"Looking back, that makes me feel so sad. Being Taran's nanny feels like a second chance for me.
"I'll be fit, active and healthy enough to keep up with him and enjoy those early years."
Image credits: Slimming World
Before starting her weight-loss journey, Ridgley's typical meals included toast with butter or cereal for breakfast, a baguette with crisps and chocolate for lunch, and pie, mash, and gravy for dinner. In the evenings, she would often satisfy her cravings with a bowl of cookies.
Now, she has made significant changes to her diet. For breakfast, she opts for cereal with fruit and fat-free natural yogurt. Lunch consists of cottage pie and vegetables. For dinner, she eats homemade chicken lasagne or cheesy courgette-baked risotto.
