Mum loses 7st after chair collapse on holiday leaves her mortified

A diabetic mum weighing 16.5 stone shed more than 7 stone after an embarrassing incident on holiday left her 'mortified'. Michelle Siderfin, 47, from Whalley Range, Manchester, began piling on the pounds following the birth of her children Jonathan, 29, and Kerri, 26. She spent years caught in a cycle of 'yo-yo dieting', only to regain the weight each time, before eventually being diagnosed with type two diabetes.

But she says an incident in Lanzarote left her 'mortified' and fellow holidaymakers 'disgusted' - which forced her to turn her life around. After joining Slimming World, the weight soon began to fall off, and she suffered less with joint pain and breathlessness. Michelle's commitment to changing her lifestyle saw her drop from a size 20 at 16st 6lbs to a size eight at 8st 9lbs. Remarkably, she also managed to stabilise her blood sugar levels and no longer requires insulin to manage her diabetes. She has since retrained as a weight loss consultant to support others on their own journeys, and wanted to share her inspiring story to mark Diabetes Week.

'That moment on holiday was the tipping point'

Married mum-of-two Michelle said: 'I tried many diets over the years, but I always felt hungry and never satisfied so I'd give up. Over time, my weight kept creeping up and during a routine appointment with my GP he explained that I had type two diabetes and would need to go on insulin.' But the retail worker, who munched on food deliveries including curries, kebabs and McDonalds most evenings out of convenience, said it made her feel even worse. She said: 'I felt like I was losing control of my health and my confidence.'

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By the time she went on a family holiday in Lanzarote summer of 2016, she was tipping the scales at 16st 6.5lbs. And her turning point came when the chair collapsed beneath her while sat outside on the patio having a drink with her family. She said: 'I didn't recognise myself anymore and I hated how I felt. We went to sit on the patio furniture outside, as I sat on the chair, the back totally snapped. I smashed my head off the paved area, luckily I didn't cut myself, but people looked with disgust or of pity. It was so embarrassing. I didn't want my kids to see that. It was mortifying, I ran inside and cried. I knew I had to do something not just for me, but with my daughter about to give birth, I wanted to make sure I'd be around to see my grandchildren grow up too. Something has to be the catalyst for you to make a change, and that was mine.' She added: 'That moment on holiday was the tipping point for me, I was so embarrassed when everyone turned to stare at me.'

'Change is possible'

Michelle took a leap and joined her local Slimming World group in August 2018. She was educated by a consultant on how to eat proper meals, but lower calorie - so she could still lose weight. She began cooking more at home, eating filling meals and enjoying her food again, without having to sacrifice things she enjoyed. And as the weight began to drop off, Michelle was thrilled at how much healthier and more confident she felt. Michelle reached her target weight of 8st 9.5lbs in January 2025 dropping from a size 20 to a size eight. Most notably she found her diabetes far easier to control - allowing her to feel she had 'taken back control' of her health.

She said: 'Before losing weight living with type two diabetes was quite scary, it was a constant battle to keep my blood sugar under control as my diet really was all over the place. It's about balance now and enjoying a healthy lifestyle that I can stick to long-term. Everything is so much more manageable, my blood sugar is at a normal level and I feel like I've taken back control of my health.' She even decided to become a Slimming World consultant in April 2025, to help others like her. Michelle said: 'I want other people to know that change is possible when you are kind to yourself and have the right support. You don't have to feel ashamed or stuck. Small changes add up to make a big difference to your health, including conditions like type two diabetes. I'll always remember stepping on those scales when I reached my target weight - it was like winning the lottery.'

She added: 'Before losing weight even walking upstairs made me out of breath. Now I go for walks with my family and use the stairs instead of the lift, I feel so much healthier in myself.'