A SLIMMER from Winnington who lost a whopping six stone in just over a year no longer needs a 'scary' operation to replace her knee. 

Cassie Dowling was 17 stone in January 2023, but by April 2024, she weighed in at less than 11 stone.

“I honestly didn’t realise how heavy I was,” she said.

The 58-year-old’s remarkable weight loss journey was sparked by a nasty fall in November 2022, when she slipped and badly ruptured a ligament in her knee.

“It was hardly surprising,” she added.     

“My mobility was awful. I was like an old person. It’s frightening when I look back.”

While investigating rehab options after her fall, Cassie’s GP said she should join Brio for her overall wellbeing, and she also decided to join a Slimming World group in Winnington.

And the Daimler Trucks programme manager says she’s ‘never looked back’.

Cassie says she can still treat herself, adding: 'You just have to mindful of what you're doing'Cassie says she can still treat herself, adding: 'You just have to mindful of what you're doing' (Image: Cassie Dowling)

She laughs about it now, but just a couple of weeks into her new regimen, she started getting messages from Deliveroo telling her how much they missed her.

She said: “I used to think by giving myself treats, like sweet stuff or alcohol, I was being good to myself. But I wasn’t.

“I have lean chicken in the fridge now, and lots of fruit, if I need a snack.

“I’m not abstemious. I still enjoy myself. I’m just in a better balance.

“I do drink less alcohol in the week, and I avoid triple chocolate muffins.

“I still go to Slimming World every week, though as a member who’s reached their target, I only have to go every eight weeks.

“I just find the group so supportive. We help each other. You know your friends there have always got your back, whether you’ve lost, maintained, or put on weight.

“Everyone there has at least one thing in common. We understand each other’s challenges, and we speak the same language.

“Losing weight isn't like giving up smoking or drinking. You can’t just decide never to eat again. You need to be constantly mindful.

“The Slimming World plan makes that aspect of it simpler because it’s easy to follow.  You’re never hungry. You just have to make sure to eat the right foods.”

In February 2023, an orthopaedic consult told Cassie she’d need a knee replacement after her fall, but 18 months later, after losing weight, it was a completely different story.

She added: “When I'd go for walks with friends or family, I’d have to sit down. I couldn’t even stand long enough to cook.”

“But I’d managed to remove all the pain from my knee by losing weight and strengthening all the muscles around it.

“My consultant said I didn’t need the operation anymore. It was just amazing. It was quite a scare, the thought of having such massive surgery. 

“I’d also been taking strong painkillers, naproxen, which means you also have to take medication to protect your stomach too. If I’m honest, this scared the heck out of me.

"I probably have to take painkillers only about once a month now."

Asked what advice she has for would-be slimmers and those struggling with weight loss, Cassie said: "You’ve got to have a reason to do it, and you have to want to do it. 

“I’ve lost weight before but put it back on quite quickly. It might have been for an event, which has then passed.

"This time, it’s about me wanting to maintain a healthy lifestyle long term. That’s the motivating factor.

“There has to be a real underlying reason for doing it.

"And that reason has to be you.”