A mother and daughter from Birmingham who survived on doner kebabs, takeaways and pizza have lost almost 19 stone between them after refusing weight-loss surgery and jabs. Susan Brelsforth, 62, and her daughter Holly, 26, shed a combined 18 stone 12.5 pounds after joining a Slimming World group and overhauling their diet.
From takeaways to healthy eating
Holly, who works in IT, once weighed more than 24 stone and was told she needed to lose weight before doctors would operate on her injured knee. Susan realised she had to change after becoming so breathless climbing the Statue of Liberty that family members had to pull her along. The pair had tried countless diets but struggled to keep the weight off.
“At one point I was even offered weight loss surgery by my doctor, but the idea of going under the knife scared me,” said Holly. Instead, they joined Slimming World in 2020 and 2023 respectively. Slimming World is a UK-based weight-loss organisation combining eating plans, physical activity and community support.
Health struggles and wake-up calls
Holly said: “I’d been overweight for as long as I could remember. As I reached my teens my weight spiralled and it wasn’t long before it started impacting my health. By the time I was 16, I was taking 20 tablets a day to manage my severe asthma symptoms. We always felt so restricted in what we could actually eat – and while we’d lose some weight, at times we felt like we were missing out – like we couldn’t enjoy food anymore.”
She added: “We’d avoid physical activity as much as possible before. Even something simple like walking would feel difficult and exhausting. When I injured my knee after a fall and was told I needed to lose weight before I could have an operation, I knew I needed to do something.”
For childminder Susan, the wake-up call came on a family holiday to New York. “The final straw for me came when I was on holiday in New York and I couldn’t keep up when we were climbing the Statue of Liberty. I was so out of breath that the others had to physically pull me along. I was so embarrassed. When I got home from holiday, I knew I needed to make a change for good.”
Remarkable transformation
Since signing up to the programme, the mother and daughter have radically changed their eating habits, ditching takeaways for healthier dishes. Holly has lost 13 stone 4.5 pounds, while Susan shed almost six stone. At her heaviest, 5ft 9ins tall Holly needed a size 38 dress but now fits a size 12. Susan dropped from a size 18 to a size 10.
After shedding the pounds, Holly was finally able to have her knee operation. She said: “Eventually I started swimming, which I love now. And as I got fitter and my confidence grew, I challenged myself to a complete two-mile swim – something that would have felt impossible before. Now I swim three times a week, no longer struggle with my asthma and feel fitter than ever. It’s shown us that with the right support, real change is possible – and that it can be done without surgery or weight loss drugs.”
The pair have been named Slimming World’s Two Together 2026 winners.
