Mum-of-three Ingrid Dowse has a part-time office job and runs three Slimming World groups - but after losing just over four stones in nine months, she has more than enough energy to cope...

WITH three children, a part-time job, active hobbies and three slimming groups on the go, Ingrid Dowse has a hectic lifestyle.

After losing four stone in nine months she now has the energy not just to cope but to flourish.

As a teenager, Ingrid was tall and slim. She never had a weight problem and it was only when she married Steve, who she met at university, that the pounds started to pile on.

"It was the usual story of getting a bit too comfortable," says Ingrid.

"I love chocolate and Steve loves crisps, so we'd pick up a bar and a packet each time we went to the newsagents - which was quite often.

"Apart from the snacking there were plenty of takeaways and I'm the sort of person who can always find some room for pudding.

"I put on around a stone, which wouldn't have been so bad, but starting a family a couple of years later really added to my weight problem."

By the time first son Charlie was born, Ingrid weighed 14 stone.

Trying to get back in shape before they had a second child, Ingrid joined her local Slimming World group and lost one and a half stone.

After their second son, Peter, was born, the Dowses thought their family was complete - but they hadn't reckoned on the arrival of Milly, who was born less than two years later.

With three children under the age of five, Ingrid and Steve found themselves living on convenience food and high-fat, high-sugar snacks. Ingrid's size ballooned and before long she was squeezing into a size 24.

"Even going shopping became an ordeal. I remember standing in a supermarket queue and Charlie asking loudly why his mum had such a big fat bottom.

"I never thought I would be wriggling it around for a photoshoot in a revealing belly dancing outfit."

After attempts to lose the weight on her own failed to bring the results she wanted, Ingrid once again joined Slimming World.

"When I weighed in at 15st 12lb it felt as though I was at the start of a very long journey but losing 7lb in the first week made me feel the end was in sight," she said.

As the weight began to come off, Ingrid wanted to tone up. She tried the gym but found it wasn't for her. And instead opted for something more unusual.

"I'd always admired belly dancers' costumes and had been to a taster session of dancing at an adult education centre and absolutely loved it.

"But it wasn't until a month after reaching target that I had the confidence to go for it seriously.

"A class started up literally at the top of my road so it seemed like fate. I went along on my own - really enjoyed it - and have been going ever since."

At one time Ingrid would never have considered running either, but last year she entered Race for Life.

"When I first started training I could barely get from one lamp post to the next without getting out of breath but I managed the 5km run in 34 minutes and I was really proud of that.

"I ran with a group of members and we called ourselves the Sexy Synners. We'll definitely do it again this year," she said.