Life felt 'almost unbearable' for Leandra Reay, a 52-year-old grandmother from Felling, Gateshead, after the death of her partner John, with whom she had shared 26 years. Struggling to cope, she lost all motivation and turned to takeaways, convenience food, and chocolate for comfort, causing her weight to spiral out of control.
'Eventually, I even had to take off the engagement ring John had given me years before, as it would no longer fit. This made me feel even further away from him, and I felt completely desperate and lonely,' Leandra said.
Trapped in a Vicious Cycle
Leandra described how getting through each day felt exhausting. She would come home from work, close all the blinds, and go straight to bed. She dreaded going anywhere public, terrified of running into people she knew and feeling embarrassed. As a Teaching Assistant in Early Years, she felt she no longer had the energy to do her job properly. When she had to leave the house, she chose places that wouldn't require walking far.
Time with her grandchildren—Louie, eight, Ada, six, and Ollie, four—became limited to quiet activities. 'One memory that stays with me is when my granddaughter gently told me not to sit on the swing, explaining that my bottom was too big and I might break it,' she recalled.
A Turning Point
In January 2025, an old friend contacted Leandra to say a new Slimming World group had opened in Felling, run by Michelle Harrison. Despite feeling too ashamed and embarrassed to join, after lots of encouraging messages, she agreed to go along on January 9, 2025.
'Week by week, the weight dropped off, and slowly my confidence grew. I began to feel I could take back control of my life. I know I can never bring John back, and there are still hard days when I miss him deeply, but I realised I could take charge of my own health,' Leandra said.
Remarkable Transformation
Within 14 months, Leandra reached her target weight, losing 11st 4lb (158 lbs) to reach 9st 13lb (139 lbs), and dropping from a size 24 to a size 8-10. Instead of cutting out all the foods she loved, she swapped high-calorie meals for home-cooked dishes packed with vegetables, fruit, yoghurt, cereal, pasta, rice, potatoes, fish, and chicken. Her favourite meal remains fish and chips, but she changed how she prepares and cooks it.
'I feel like a completely different person. I have so much energy now—both for my work and to run around and play with my grandchildren. The moment I reached my target weight felt incredible—and best of all, my engagement ring fits perfectly on my finger once again, just where it belongs,' she said.
Paying It Forward
Inspired by her success, Leandra trained to become a Slimming World consultant. She is now launching her own group at Dunston Community Centre, opposite the Tudor Rose pub, every Saturday at 8am and 9:30am. 'I want to help other people feel that same sense of pride and achievement,' she added.
