A mother who was "mortified" when she could only find a "huge baggy jacket" to wear to her father's funeral lost 10st by giving up her costly takeaway habit. Hayley Bagley, 55, from Redditch, Worcestershire, weighed 20st 11lbs and was a size 26 when she began getting breathless climbing the stairs. After her dad, Ron Bagley, died aged 80 from dementia, she struggled to find something suitable to wear for his funeral, which gave her the motivation to change.
From takeaways to home-cooked meals
Hayley, an account manager, said her sedentary working life led to bad habits, and she would spend £150 a week on takeaways for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She cut out bacon sandwiches and cakes, swapping them for home-cooked meals and daily walks. In two years she lost 9st 12lbs, and is now a healthy 10st 13lbs and a size 10.
She said: "All I could find for the funeral was a huge baggy jacket. I was absolutely mortified. It really upset me. Dad wouldn't have minded, but I really wanted to wear something gorgeous to his funeral. There wasn't even a choice for me in size 26, the jacket was the only thing I could wear."
A pivotal moment
Hayley described being out of breath climbing the stairs as a "real pivotal moment" for her. She said: "I was just so busy and self-care had gone on the back burner. I needed to pull that back." She had been a sporty teenager, playing hockey and netball, but started gaining weight when she began working in sales and became more sedentary.
By April 2023, her typical day involved a sausage and egg McMuffin, hashbrowns, and a latte on the way to work, a bacon sandwich from a local van mid-morning, and a burger and chips from KFC or similar for lunch. She often shared cake brought in by colleagues, and on the way home she would order a takeaway, usually pizza, for the family dinner eaten in front of the TV. The household also spent £150 a week on a supermarket shop, sometimes including a roast dinner with goose-fat potatoes.
Joining Slimming World
Hayley said she knew it wasn't a healthy lifestyle and it wasn't making her happy, but she was too tired and overwhelmed to change it. She drove everywhere, only walking short distances with her Springer Spaniel Luna. When her dad passed away in April 2023, she struggled to find anything her size in the royal blue colour the rest of her family were wearing for the funeral.
She joined her local Slimming World group in May 2023, cut out the takeaways, and changed her job to work more regular hours so she could guarantee time to cook. She lost over nine pounds in the first week and seven stone in the first year, and has maintained her weight loss since Christmas 2025.
New habits and savings
Hayley said: "I'm extremely proud of myself. I just want to shout it from the rooftops. And I'm really pleased that I've been able to lose the weight naturally. Going to a Slimming World group each week is the best £6 I ever spend." She added that she feels more in control this way and has more energy, both physical and mental.
She is now saving £7,200 a year by cutting out takeaways and spends the money on tailored clothes instead of baggy outfits. She still enjoys a full fry-up with lean bacon and Slimming World sausages, makes vegetable soup for lunch, and has home-made chilli with rice or jacket potato for dinner. She still loves a Sunday roast but uses oil instead of goose fat, and has cake once a week instead of every day. She has found a love for walking and goes on 6km walks once or twice a day.
Hayley said: "One day I just realised that a walk that used to take me 45 minutes now took 15 minutes, so I kept walking. I love walking now. My dad used to walk and I feel like he's beside me." She credits the support from Slimming World and from Elliott, Andi, and her mum, saying: "Losing weight is very hard, but we have a lot of fun. I'm just an ordinary person, I'm not a gym enthusiast, and haven't had to change who I am."
