01/09/2026
Consett mum sheds more than four stone after deciding ‘this time I’m going to do it’
Natalie Burdon says losing 4st 5½lb has given her back her confidence — and she no longer hides from photographs
A Consett mum who had tried Slimming World several times before has lost an incredible 4st 5½lb after finally finding the determination to stick with her weight-loss journey.
Mum-of-two Natalie Burdon, who has two daughters aged 11 and two, had reached 19st 6½lb when she saw photographs of herself and realised she needed to make a change.
Working part-time in a supermarket bakery, Natalie says her diet had become a familiar pattern of pizza, wedges and garlic bread, meal deals at work, curries, takeaway burgers and share bags of chocolate every evening.
“When I saw myself in photos, I realised how bad it had become,” said Natalie.
Although she had tried Slimming World before, she decided to return to a Wednesday morning group in Consett with consultant Dawn — and this time she was determined to make it work.
“I knew Dawn already from previous attempts, so I was instantly reassured, even though I was very anxious to restart and hopefully complete my journey.”
Natalie lost 5½lb in her first week and has never looked back.
She says Food Optimising has been much easier than she expected and has made simple changes to her everyday routine.
“I’ve started cooking more and take packed lunches to work every day instead of having a meal deal.
“I make my own pizzas using wraps or thins and my own curries using sauce from Iceland.”
She has also become more active, walking much more and finding it easier as her weight has reduced.
“I have a very busy, hands-on job which helps a lot, and two children who keep me constantly busy!”
Natalie’s dedication was recognised when she was named Woman of the Year in her Slimming World group.
But some of her proudest achievements have happened away from the scales.
One of her favourite non-scale victories was being able to walk into the supermarket where she works and buy jeans — rather than having to shop online.
“I’m not trying to hide myself anymore and always avoiding photographs,” she said.
“I feel a lot happier in myself.”
Natalie has also been delighted that she has managed to stay on track without gaining weight on any occasions during her journey so far.
She says the support from her group and Dawn has played a huge part in helping her succeed.
“I’ve managed to stick to plan fully and lose the weight. I always feel supported by both my group and Dawn.”
Having previously started Slimming World several times, Natalie says this time the difference has been her commitment to keep going.
“I’ve done Slimming World a few times but have never stuck to it this long.”
With 4st 5½lb already gone, Natalie is now looking forward to continuing her journey towards her target weight.
“I can’t wait to continue my journey to target.”
Her story is proof that sometimes the biggest changes aren’t just measured on the scales — they can be seen in confidence, self-belief and finally being happy to step in front of the camera again.
