Kathryne, from East Goscote, joined Weight Management Leicestershire when her health started to suffer.

The 64-year-old police contact handler started her weight loss journey when her GP referred her for physiotherapy to relieve her spinal problems.

With the aim of building muscles for pain relief in order to avoid surgery, Kathryne's spinal surgeon advised that she might benefit from losing some weight. She was referred to the weight management service by her physiotherapist.

"I was 14st 2lb – 90kg – before I started the programme, and I was getting quite a big stomach which, along with my spinal conditions and other health issues, made exercise difficult and painful."

Kathryne was paired with her regular adviser, senior dietitian Ceris. Together, they went through a 12-week programme of sessions covering food information and planning, as well as personalised advice and support.

With the help of food fact sheets, diaries and planners, Kathryne and Ceris covered topics including takeaways and eating out, snacks, food and mood, food groups and portion control.

"I lost 6% of my body weight over the course of the programme. One piece of advice that really helped was to allow myself treats now and again to prevent cravings."

Now 12st 10lbs, a loss of 9kg since the start of the year, Kathryne is on course to stick to her new healthy eating regime.

"I don't have many ready meals or unhealthy snacks now. I enjoy healthier foods like root vegetables, oven-cooked chicken or salmon, or breaded cod, with olive oil and seasoning. I've also taken up pilates through GP referral to help my conditions, which complements the diet."

Kathryne has felt the benefits of her change in weight in more ways than one:

"Losing weight has helped me mentally. I can tell the difference when I get dressed as nothing feels tight or digs in. I feel more in control of everything now, so it's put me in a more positive mood."

When asked whether she would recommend the weight management service to others, Kathryne explained:

"Yes, definitely. Because you know someone will be ringing on a regular basis to check in, you've got the right sort of pressure. I also like the fact that follow-up support is available three months after the programme finishes."

Kathryne's advice for anybody looking to lose weight is:

"If you feel you'd benefit from input, join a telephone consultation programme for support."