An inspirational Catrine man has turned his life around after admitting his lifestyle choices were slowly killing him.
Ronnie Bunting, 69, decided to join a Mauchline Slimming World group after reaching a weight of 23 stone.
Ronnie said weight he had put on during lockdown had made him feel anxious, leading him to decide to make the change.
"I'm a completely different person now," Ronnie said.
"How I felt before was terrible and I could hardly walk around the square in Catrine and now I'm able to walk between 40 and 70 miles every week.
"I knew I had to do something, so my daughter and I started countng calories to start with.
"This helped me for a while, but I knew I needed something different so I got in touch with Slimming World.
"It's amazing what it's done for me, both mentally and physically, because you feel embarrassed when you're outside and you're that weight.
"I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that it's saved my life.
"I'm hoping that people seeing me make this change at my age can encourage other folk to do the same thing."
Ronnie turned to Elaine Marshall who runs Slimming World groups in Mauchline and Cumnock.
The support from Elaine was vital to helping Ronnie make the shift in lifestyle.
Ronnie added: "Elaine made me feel so much at ease when I went to the group.
"She met with me and took me in and introduced me to everyone and I've never looked back since.
"It feels like a real family in the group, because everyone is going through the same thing so there's no judgement at all.
"I'm happier and healthier than I could have imagined, and I'd definitely encourage anyone to sing up if they're looking to make the change."
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Elaine feels that Ronnie's journey is one that can inspire people of all ages to make the first step to changing their life.
Elaine said: "Ronnie has been absolutely fantastic since he came into the group.
"He wanted to change his life and now he's the first one in my group every week and he'll help out where he can.
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"It's amazing when you see someone who is now a totally different person making their way through your group.
"Ronnie's journey goes to show that it's never too late to make a change in your life or get some help when you need it."
Elaine's groups can be found on the Slimming World Elaine Mauchline or the Slimming World Elaine Cumnock Facebook pages.
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