Cheryl Lawton from West Hull said she got unkind comments and judgement because of her size while working as a nurse
Cheryl has lost 3st since January 2026(Image: Submitted)
A Hull nurse said she felt like an “imposter” for helping others improve their health while battling weight struggles of her own. Cheryl Lawton said her weight had “kept her prisoner” for many years – and was even fat shamed while delivering a healthcare appointment – but has now lost more than three stone and is now using her experience to help others.
For years, Cheryl felt trapped in a cycle of losing weight, regaining it and trying again. Despite her professional knowledge of health and wellbeing, she had previously suffered a spinal injury, and has diabetes and metabolic problems. Add in menopause, and Cheryl’s health issues made managing her weight increasingly difficult. At her heaviest, she says she felt as though her size “undermined” her “professional credibility”.
“I felt like an imposter,” she said. “As a health professional, I was trying to advise other people about healthy lifestyles when I didn’t feel that I was a good example myself. I knew people judged me because of my size. I faced some unkind comments and was even fat-shamed during a health appointment. I can’t begin to count the tears, or the number of times my weight has held me prisoner and clipped my wings over the years.”
She had previously attended Slimming World – managing to lose around two stone through online membership – but eventually plateaued. Then, her diabetes became increasingly difficult to control and she was referred for specialist hospital care. After months of different treatments, her condition was eventually stabilised. This was the turning point Cheryl needed, as she said her body was “working with her, not against her” for the first time in years.
In December 2025, she decided it was time to tackle her weight again. She dug out her old Slimming World books and magazines and began following the plan. After seeing the scales begin to move, she realised she needed more than trying to do it alone. At the end of January 2026, she returned to her local Slimming World group.
“I was apprehensive, but I was welcomed into the group,” she said. “Being surrounded by other people who were working towards their own goals made such a difference. I had always thought that, as a nurse, I should be able to do this myself. But I realised I needed the accountability, encouragement and support of a group.”
Eight months later, she is more than three stone lighter – her lowest weight in 26 years. “After losing more than three stone, I finally feel that I can share my knowledge, skills and experience without feeling like an imposter anymore.” And her transformation has inspired her to help others facing the same challenges. Cheryl is now a Slimming World Consultant, turning the experience that once made her feel vulnerable into something she hopes will help other people.
“I know what it feels like to struggle. I know what it feels like to think you’ve tried everything and to feel that your weight is holding you back. Now I want to give other people the support and encouragement that helped me. If I can do it, I know that other people can too.” She now runs her own Slimming World groups at St Nicholas Community Hall on Pickering Road, West Hull, every Tuesday at 5.30pm and 7pm.
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