A military mess manager from Plymouth has shed more than half her body weight to be crowned Slimming World’s Woman of the Year 2024.

Ali Ridgley, 52, weighed almost 23st when she decided to transform her lifestyle after reading the words “morbidly obese” on her medical records.

She said: “Seeing the words on my doctor’s screen spurred me into action. I was a heart attack waiting to happen.”

Ali, who lives with her 24-year-old daughter Rosie, said her weight began to climb after she moved to college.

She had tried to lose weight in the past but never managed to keep it off for long and even considered weight loss surgery.

Then she joined her local Slimming World group in Southway, Devon, in 2019. Ali said: “There was no judgement, just encouragement and support from the start.

“When I weighed in, I realised I was the heaviest I had ever been. The person at the scales said to me ‘don’t worry, that’s the last time you’ll see that number’. It was just the boost I needed.”

Ali has now slashed her weight to just 9st 13½lbs, dropping from a dress size of 28-30 to 6-8.

Supported by her partner Dave and Rosie, she cooks meals from scratch and plans ahead so she is not tempted to eat something unhealthy on a busy day.

Exercise was once “a total no-go” but after losing the first six stone, Ali joined a dance fitness class. She added: “I fell in love with it and ended up completing my diploma in exercise to music, so I now run my own classes twice a week.

“I can’t imagine my life without dancing, so I feel confident about keeping these habits up and the weight off this time. I also joined a local Couch to 5K group and recently signed up for a marathon.”

Ali is also enjoying spending time with her seven-week-old grandson, Taran. She said: “When my daughter Claudia, 29, told me that she was pregnant, I was over the moon.

“There are certain things I missed out on when raising my daughters because of my size – I was often the mum on the sidelines holding the bags and not getting involved – and looking back that makes me feel so sad.

“Ultimately, I started this journey because I wanted to live life to the fullest – and that’s what I feel I can do now. These days I’m not a heart attack waiting to happen – I’m the woman I always wanted to be.”

Carolyn Pallister, registered dietitian and head of nutrition, research and health at Slimming World, said: “Ali is truly inspiring and demonstrates what can be achieved, without resorting to weight loss drugs or surgery.

“Ali has lost weight through making important healthy behaviour changes that have not only helped her lose 13st but have equipped her with lifelong healthy habits, not just for her but for her family too, and the confidence that she can maintain it for life.”