I've Been Voted Miss Slinky!

Great news! I was elected Miss Slinky by my local Slimming World group last week. I'd have never thought this possible a few years ago, and even when I first joined Slimming World and became aware of the Miss Slinky competition, I never imagined that this title could ever apply to me.
Five of us were originally nominated in our local group, but two dropped out, and the three remaining had to give a speech about how we had got to our weight-loss, and bring 'before' photos to show how much we had shed. I'd volunteered to go along in my leotard, dance-skirt and ballet shoes! Another young lady looked fabulous in a slim black cocktail dress, and the third felt rather underdressed, not having opted for such 'outlandish' clothing. I also took along a pair of very large trousers I used to wear to show them.
I found myself in a strange state of mind about the photos of me 4 years ago when I still had the 4 stone to shed that I've now lost. Once they would have embarrassed me, but when I was looking for 'before' photos, I was thinking "The fatter the better!" and I could look quite dispassionately at them, as they were in a way of another person. At that time I was just starting to consult a dietician, but the local sports centre which helped me so much hadn't opened, and I hadn't yet discovered ballet classes or Slimming World. I certainly looked very broad in the beam and full in the face!
To counterbalance these photos I also took along two recent ones of me jumping and balancing at a Northern Ballet Theatre Workshop. People said I sounded full of life, and I certainly emphasized how rejuvenated I felt with the weight-loss, ballet classes and pleasures of retirement, not forgetting the invaluable help of the sensible Slimming World system.
So I was delighted when they voted for me as Miss Slinky, and I was adorned with one of those beauty-queen sort of sashes (so far from my old world!) and given a trophy and some lovely flowers. They didn't actually ask me to dance a few steps, though I'd have been prepared to do so!
I'm still on target with my weight, though I've found it more of a struggle in the past few months than in the first six of this year. And Christmas is coming, so I'm trying to reduce the weight further so that I can enjoy more of its treats.
Losing weight, which is such a terrible slog, is well worth doing for the extra energy and, hopefully, longer and healthier life it can give you. Slimming World holds such competitions to encourage others to achieve their aim.