Identical twins Tina Bailey and Kerry Chase have become an inspiration to dieting women after losing nine stone between them in a Slimming World weight loss programme.
Kerry Chase and Tina Bailey are confident to wear dresses after their slimming success
Other ladies have followed in the 41-year-old twins’ footsteps after they reached their targets in weight loss at the programme based in the Victory Hall, Warsash.
Kerry has recently achieved her target, which was to go from weighing just over 16st to 12st , since beginning the programme in January 2011.
Her sister Tina went from 15st 10lb to 10st 10lb in 11 months. Both of them – then aged 39 - were determined to fit into dresses for their 40th birthday party, outfits they had not worn for many years.
“It feels brilliant,” said mum-of-two Kerry of Brigantine Road, Warsash.
“Everyone keeps telling us they’ve been motivated by us. We’ve got friends who’ve joined Slimming World because they’ve seen us do it.
“It’s nice to know we’re inspiring other people.
“We’re absolutely loving it and going shopping to buy nice clothes instead of frumpy ones. When we were 40 it was the first time we’d worn dresses in years. And we’ve worn dresses since!”
Enthusiastically they keep one another going and continue what they said has been a life-changing experience for them, which has boosted their confidence and chopped inches off their waistline.
They have gone from a size 22 to slim sizes 12 for Kerry and 10 for Tina. They swapped binging on snacks, eating unhealthy and quick-to-cook meals for making everything from scratch and daily exercise.
The inseparable pair – who both work as catering assistants at Brookfield School, train at netball together and have daily phone calls – have started looking more like each other again so that even their own children sometimes cannot tell them apart.
Kerry and Tina before the weight loss programme
Kerry swapped her glasses for contact lenses, making it all the harder for people to tell the sisters apart.
Tina, of Barnes Close in Sarisbury, said: “We’ve both got kids and they find it hard to know who’s who. It’s quite funny. They get confused and say we look more alike now.
“It’s changed our lifestyles completely. It’s something we’ve done together and we’ve enjoyed. If Kerry’s feeling low I can pick her up or if I’m having a hard time she helps me.
“It’s something that’s stuck and we’ll continue to go to Slimming World because it’s a good way to keep focus. My dad always sees me with a plate full of food and says, ‘That’s not a diet. How can you eat that much and lose weight?’ It’s not really a diet, it’s a change in lifestyle.
“Doing it with Kerry makes it easier because it’s almost like a competition and we keep each other going.
Despite Kerry taking a bit longer to lose the pounds than her sister, Tina added: “I’m really proud of her. She’s done really fantastically well.”