'Five stone weight loss fixed my agonising back pain - this is how I did it'

Though Joann Flynn had struggled with her weight for many years, it was a painful back injury that motivated her to finally shed the pounds for good.

The 58-year-old was left barely able to walk after pinching several nerves in her back in November 2021 – forcing her to give up her job as a director of a recycling company.

Living in total agony, a doctor advised the grandma-of-four that weight loss could help relieve some of the pressure in her back.

Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.

In a bid to ease her suffering, Joann, from the Helsby area of Cheshire, signed up to slimming group Beeweighedin in June 2022.

Joann, who runs the recycling company franchise with her husband, went on to lose an incredible five stone in weight – going from a size 22 to a size 12.

“Sometimes I try stuff on and I think, is that really me?” she told the Manchester Evening News. “Because you don’t see it yourself.

“Even then, you forget you’ve lost weight until you look in the mirror.”

When Joann joined Beeweighed last year, she weighed almost 18 stone. Following a calorie counting programme, she now weighs around 13 stone.

Joann had been trying to slim down since 2020 when her weight ballooned over lockdown after snacking on chocolate and biscuits.

She puts part of her weight loss success down to fasting until midday every day and only eating between noon and 8pm.

At her three stone weight loss mark, Joann’s back pain had finally eased and she was finally able to walk for more than 20 minutes without her leg going numb.

“You can eat whatever you want, just not as much as you want,” she added. “I say in class, eat what you want because if you don’t, in three