Sonia Dawswell, 54, has lost nearly half her body weight since 2005

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A woman whose weight loss plans were thrown into freefall when she became blind overnight has successfully got back on track by relearning to cook. Sonia Dawswell, 54, has lost nearly half her body weight since 2005 and says she hopes her journey can encourage other people not to be held back by a disability.

Sonia, from east London, said she first realised she had to shed some pounds as she boarded a plane to Tenerife 17 years ago. “I was getting on the plane with a friend and caught sight of myself in the glass", she said.

“I just thought, ‘Oh my God!’ I hadn’t realised how big I really was. I said to my friend there and then that I’d have a great holiday, eat what I wanted, come back and make some changes.”

Inspired to change her reflection and improve her health, Sonia joined slimming club Weight Watchers (WW). Over several years she lost half her body weight, dropping from 21st (133kg) to 10st 7lb (67kg).

Sonia, a court volunteer, had lived with vision issues since she was a toddler and over the years had required stronger and stronger prescription glasses to overcome cataracts and glaucoma. But her life – and weight loss plans – were disrupted in 2018 when she woke up one morning with no sight at all in her left eye.

Living alone and now relying solely on a small amount of vision in her right eye, everyday tasks suddenly became "impossible", she said. Sonia was unable to cook and so began relying on pre-packed or takeaway food and found herself tucking into “endless snacks all day long”.

She said: “There was no end to it. I’d just be picking from morning to night. Crisps, biscuits, sandwiches. Anything I could just buy and eat. I couldn’t even see the calories on the back of the pack.

“On my way home from work, I’d stop off at the chip shop, get chips and eat them at home with a cheese and onion pasty.”

She added: “I’ve been to lots of support groups for people with sight loss and a lot of us are overweight. I believe we’re dying sooner because of it.”

Still, Sonia never let her blindness hold her back. She said her disability did not prevent her from socialising, working or going to WW sessions.

She also found a way, even at her biggest, to fulfil her love for fashion – taking friends along shopping with her or asking shop assistants to guide her to clothes in her favourite colours. “Back then, I was always the biggest woman in the room. But I’d always be a well-dressed big woman", she said.

It was during the coronavirus lockdowns when, unable to exercise at the gym and living off snacks, pre-packaged and fried food, Sonia noticed her weight creeping back on. “I never got back to that 21st, but I did gain a lot of weight back", she said.

"There was nothing to do but sit and eat. No way to exercise.”

Coming out of lockdown, Sonia discovered she had reached 15st 7lb (98kg), which meant she was once more classed as obese. Knowing the WW diet had worked for her before, she recommitted to the plan.

She also began walking six miles a day, stopped eating after 7pm and took on the difficult and rewarding task of relearning to use some appliances, including a blender and a frying pan. This enabled her to make herself omelettes and healthy smoothies. Her friends and family also stepped up to support her efforts, dropping off food and giving invaluable words of encouragement.

She said: “I learnt tricks like using appliances with big, simple buttons. I’d go to the supermarket, take pictures of the back of packets and enlarge them on my phone, so I could work out the points.”

She now has three healthy meals a day, walks 10,000 steps six days a week and snacks on fruit instead of crisps. As a result, she has now lost another 4st and is down to 11st 6lb (73kg) – just half a stone from her goal weight. Sonia, who loves wearing bright and beautiful colours, can now buy a wider range of stylish clothing again and feels happier and healthier.

She said: “I hope my story can encourage other people. I’m a woman of a certain age and menopausal, but that hasn’t stopped me. I have visual impairment but that hasn’t stopped me either.”

She added: “I want people to realise you can have a life with a disability and still watch your weight. It’s not easy but keep knocking on those doors until they open for you.”