A trio of super slimmers from different walks of life have shed 23 stone between them

Paul Bleasdale, 52, Brenda Watson, 63, and Louise Murray, 40, wanted to lose weight for different reasons and have changed their lives after joining a slimming class.

Paul is now less than half the man he used to be.

He weighed in at 28st 9 lbs and had a 46 inch waist after bad habits of bingeing on crisps and eating takeaways took its toll.

He said: "I lived up at the top of Port Glasgow on my own and the only cooking I was doing was opening a tin and living off ready meals.

"I had a minor operation at the IRH and they couldn't give me an anaesthetic because of my weight.

"I was told if anything serious was to happen, my heart would struggle with a general anaesthetic."

Two weeks later he turned up to his first night at Slimming World at Gourock Baptist Church.

Paul said: "I couldn't be made any more welcome. I knew a couple of people and it's a good group and there is good banter."

Paul, who now lives in Gourock, now makes his own soup and meals and piles on the vegetables rather than the pounds.

He is going to the gym three times a week after being referred to Live Active Inverclyde and has completed his first 5k.

He tips the scales at 11stones 1lb and his new waist size is 36 inches.

Paul said: "Confidence wise it is night and day. I couldn't even climb the stairs without being out of breath. I was also borderline type 2 diabetes but that's gone now.

"A few weeks ago I did the Bellahouston 5k. I couldn't have walked that before."

Glamorous Gourock gran and former nurse Brenda Watson had no energy to run after her grandson and hid in baggy 18-20 size clothes.

She had sore joints and was uncomfortable in her bed at night.

Brenda said: "I had a three-year-old grandson and if I tried to keep up with him, I thought I was going to have a heart attack or he's going to run away from me. When I found out I was going to be a gran again I decided I had to do something.

"I had joined Slimming World lots of times but never stayed for the class. This time I decided to do exactly what they told me."

Brenda gave up ready meals and started cooking from scratch and now batch cooks and fills up with fruit and vegetables.

She lost five and a half stones at a pound a week and is now a trim size 14.

Brenda said: "I feel wonderful. I look after Arthur who is now five and Ivy who is 20 months and spend a lot of time in the park and running about and on bikes. When I realised I could run after Arthur at the age of 63, I thought I was going to cry."

Louise Murray's weight was making her rheumatoid arthritis worse and she was confined to a wheelchair for four years.

The 40-year-old was diagnosed more than 20 years ago and her case is so severe she's had two hips, her foot, elbow and knuckles, replaced.

But her weight of 18 and a half stones was making her health worse.

She said: "Everything I ate had to be microwaved, even burgers that looked like the soles of your shoe.

"I now batch cook everything for the week, I like fajitas, chilli and Slimming World curry."

She lost six and a half stones and gradually became mobile and doesn't need the wheelchair any more.

Louise said: "I feel better and have more confidence.

"I'm now studying bio-medical science at uni and my whole lie has changed.

"I never used to socialise, now I'm out every week and I have a partner."

Lorraine McCallum, team developer with slimming world who takes the class, said: "It's down to all their hard work. It's a good class with a lovely bunch of people."

Louise said: "It's all down to Lorraine's support and encouragement. We couldn't have done it without her."

The class runs at Gourock Baptist Church on Tuesdays at 3.30, 5.30 and 7.30pm, to find out more call 07842606945.