Slimming champ Margaret gives her weight loss tips

For Margaret Balneaves, it was the heartbreak of losing her husband Charlie that finally spurred her on to lose weight and keep it off.

After years of yo-yo dieting - slimming down to a size 14 for her wedding in 1979, for instance, then piling it all back on again - the terrible blow in 2007 led her to re-evaluate her whole life.

The couple had been trying to lose weight together when Charlie, who suffered diabetes, died of a heart attack. It made Margaret realise just how important weight loss can be.

Three years on, the 51-year-old creche co-ordinator is celebrating winning a UK dieting title after losing half of her body weight. She was crowned the 50-plus Slimmer of the Year at a glitzy ceremony in London yesterday after shedding more than 11 stones and now weighs just 9st 12lb.

She was one of ten award winners in the Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Magazine Slimmer of the Year 2011 competition.

Here, Margaret, who reached her target weight in October - and celebrated with a meal out with family and friends - shares her top five tips for losing weight.

GET THE EXERCISE BUZZ

"My top tip would be exercise. I started slowly, just swimming five lengths of the pool a week. Now I swim 60 lengths three times a week and I walk a lot. Whenever the weather is good, I walk from home in Davidson's Mains to my work in Leith, which is about four miles.

"I also do the Rosemary Conley gymba classes and the salsa-cise classes once a week. The gymba is made up of all sorts of different dances and it's really fast but it's really fun. It's good to work out with other people and we all support each other. I've been going to the classes for two years and at first I found them really difficult.

"I love the feeling I get after doing exercise. It gives me such a buzz. I have to do some kind of exercise every day and that's why I know I'll keep the weight off this time, because I love it so much."

JUNK THE SNACKS

"I would say don't buy any snack food if you can help it. I don't buy any bad food like biscuits or cakes because if they're not in the cupboard I can't eat them. If you know you shouldn't be eating it then just don't buy it.

"I know some people might want to slim down but they've got young kids who are wanting sweets and treats but I think those little boxes of raisins are much better. It's the healthier option rather than giving them chocolate. I used to crave chocolate when I first started slimming. I found it really hard to give up, and I do still eat it now, but only occasionally.

"I sometimes find I'm getting a bit hungry between meals. If I'm feeling hungry in the middle of the morning or afternoon, I just have some raisins."

SHRINK YOUR PORTIONS

"I started eating smaller portions but always had three meals a day. For breakfast, I used to have a full cooked breakfast with bacon and eggs but now I just have Weetabix. You really don't need to eat that much. I just cut down on the portion sizes really gradually so I didn't notice that much.

"I used to have one or two pies and a few cakes at lunch but now I just have a sandwich and some salad and a few pieces of fruit. I've found that I really like the taste of healthier food.

"I don't miss any of the more sugary, fatty foods like the pies and cakes I used to eat before."

VEG OUT

"I find if you eat a lot of vegetables that fills you up. I used to eat lots of meat all the time. I loved chops, steak, mince and stew but now I only eat chicken and occasionally beef. Sometimes I just eat vegetables and cut out meat altogether. It's much better for you.

"There are lots of vitamins and minerals in vegetables that keep you strong and fit. I love stir-fry now. I really like courgettes, mushrooms, peppers and bean sprouts and I never used to eat them before."

REMEMBER WHY

"I was really helped by remembering I wasn't just doing this for myself. You've got to remember that your health is really important. I was slimming down so I could stay healthy for my family.

"I started slimming with my husband and after he died my daughter Diane joined me. It's been much easier having someone to help you out and you're in it together. It's all about other people encouraging you to lose the weight and making you feel good when you have.

"The first time I realised I'd started to lose weight was when I saw a friend in the supermarket and she said 'you've lost loads of weight, look at you!'. I just hadn't noticed. I still didn't see myself being thin until last year one of the three-year-olds at work said to me 'Margaret, you're skinny'. That just made my day."