It is so lovely to be able to help people to change

Surprisingly the result was a prescription for diet pills, something which would not happen today, and the results were not successful.

As she grew older, Sally, now 63, continued to have an issue with her weight and it crept up when she started a family.

She would skip meals and instead snack on bread, crisps and sticky buns.

Sally admits she felt awful during this period because life was passing her by and she had no confidence.

Clothes did not fit her, she never wore make-up, and it was difficult to find enough energy to run around with her children or go for days out.

She said: “I was happily married but I was so focussed on my job of looking after everyone else, I didn’t take enough time to look after myself. Looking back I realise I should have taken better care.”

The turning point came in 1991 when Sally met a friend for coffee (and a snack) after dropping her children off at school.

At this point she was a size 24 and when her friend announced she was going to join Weight Watchers, Sally decided she would do the same.

She said: “The session was due to take place the following week and it was at the bottom of the road where I lived.

“I felt really nervous about it. I thought people would see me going in there and realise I had a problem.

“This was silly of course because they only had to look at me walking down the road to see I had a problem.

It think it was a case of me thinking this showed showing that I needed to get some help because I couldn’t do it myself.

“I didn’t know what to expect and psychologically it was a big step going in. Walking through the door was horrendous.”

Sally never looked back once she started and lost eight pounds in her first week before going on to lose more than six stone in six months.

She focused on eating regular meals with plenty of fruit and vegetables, cut out sugar in her tea and used skimmed milk.

However it was the support and encouragement she got from the group that really spurred her on.

She said: “I think the group sessions are the most important thing. I know people are busy and lifestyles have changed so they may need to leave early, but for me it is like booking a driving lesson and not getting into the car.

“The advice and camaraderie you get from others can make such a difference.

“I found that I was inspired by other people’s weight loss as well as focusing on my own efforts.

“We all had the same goal of wanting to be healthy.

“I quickly realised I had nothing to worry about in the first place about joining the group as it was absolutely fine. Nobody names and shames you, they don’t read out your weight and there is absolutely no judgement. Everyone is in it together.”

Sally, who lives in Saltdean and is married to Barry, 66, did not tell anyone apart from her family and her friend about her Weight Watchers group.

She said: “I think I felt at first that I didn’t believe I could do it and go all the way and so I wanted to keep it to myself for a bit.

“It was when I had lost about two-and-a-half stone and someone asked me if I had lost weight that I told them.

“They were immediately so supportive and so was everyone else. I’d get asked at the school gates about how I did the night before. They were all rooting for me. It really helped and made such a difference.”

Sally, who previously worked in an office and then went on to run a Babyland Shop in Hove, had lost four stone when the idea of her becoming a Weight Watchers group leader came up.

She said: “I had lost about four stone at that point and an area manager suggested I might consider it.

“I didn’t really have the confidence then and said no but it did sow the seeds. Our leader later left and another one came in but had to go shortly afterwards after becoming ill.

“I decided to stop complaining and do something about it and did not look back from there.”

Sally quickly went on to establish several groups in the area and has continued to provide help and support for scores of people for 23 years.

She was recently awarded Diamond Coach status by Weight Watchers, a prestigious acknowledgement only awarded every two years to a few hundred of the approximately 1,500 coaches around the country.

This recognised her efforts to proactively look at ways to make a difference to her members and their weight loss journeys and the achievements and targets they have reached

Her groups have also raised more than £1.000 for charities through a range of events such as raffles and cake making.

Sally said: “I was very proud to receive the Diamond award. I could not have done it without all the people in the groups I run.”

So what is it that has kept Sally involved with the organisation for as long as she has?

“It has been a really rewarding and amazing job over the years.

“You end up rubbing shoulders with people from all walks of life and of all different ages.

“I’ve made friends with people I would never have thought I would get along with because we can all just empathise with each other.

“If you’re in a bad mood, you step in the room and there’s always something happening during the session that turns things around.

“A person may have reached their goal, got to a milestone or simply turned up again after a few weeks away.”

Sally says it is the satisfaction of seeing members literally change in front of her that makes her so keen to keep going.

She said “It is so lovely to watch people as they progress and realise you have helped them do that.

“There is a lady in one of my groups who has lost 125lb since joining.

“She originally did it to lose weight for her daughter’s wedding but as a result the change in her has been amazing.

“She has gone on a fundraising walk, travels abroad and has achieved so much. She is always smiling.”

A lot of people keep coming to Weight Watchers for many years, even when they have reached their target.

This was something Sally did not originally understand but has come to realise that many want to make sure they maintain their weight as well as help encourage others.

She said: “I originally wondered why thin people were attending Weight Watchers groups when they didn’t need to but as the years have passed I’ve understood they want to give support as well as get together with friends. It is the same for me.”

Sally continues to do Weight Watchers sessions, with six groups a week meeting in Brighton, Saltdean, Langley, Seaford and Newhaven.

Her family, including son Garreth, 35 and daughter Nicola, 38, used to help out when they were younger and now Nicola, is aiming to become a coach as well.

Sally has seen many changes over the years with the group, particularly with the arrival of Facebook and internet where individuals post regular updates on their progress.

They can also provide provide online support and advice for people looking to lose weight.

Sally said: “At the end of the day, you are the person who needs to take the step to lose weight but there is a huge amount of support and help out there from people who understand.

“Losing weight not only helps people physically and encourages them to be more active, it can also really help psychologically, making them more confident and sure of themselves.

“A job like this can be a very powerful one and I am delighted to have been able to help so many.”

For more details about Sally’s group sessions and the various online services provided by Weight Watchers, visit the website at weightwatchers.com/uk.