A WINCHESTER woman has set up a weight-loss group in a bid to be healthier so that she can better look after her disabled daughter.

Sandi Brabham was asked to run a Slimming World group in her home village Otterbourne after she successfully lost her baby weight after attending the sessions, following the birth of her daughter.

Annabelle was born with cerebral palsy while the family lived in California and Mrs Brabham soon sensed something was awry with her.

“Her life became endless trips to doctors, specialists and hospitals to find out what was wrong,” the 43-year-old mum-of-two said.

“My life felt like it was spiralling out of my control.

“I felt really low and I turned to food for comfort. I was not happy with myself and didn’t have any time to look after myself.

“I kept putting other needs in front of mine.”

It wasn’t until the family returned to the UK that Mrs Brabham realised she needed to become more fit and healthy to care for her seven-year-old daughter and her 11-year-old son Matthew.

“It really hit home who would look after my daughter if I wasn’t around.

"I needed to start looking after myself,” she said.

Killing two birds with one stone, Mrs Brabham decided to lose weight and raise money for the Rainbow Centre in Fareham, where her daughter received treatment.

She has shed over three stone, ran the London Marathon, the Reading half Marathon and a number of other walks and runs raising nearly £3,000 for her good cause.

Now she’s encouraging others to join in with her Slimming World sessions.

“I wanted to give back to the community.

"Now that I have lost 3 stone 4lb I feel that have started living life to the full, I have so much more energy and feel more confident as a person in what I can achieve. I feel that we all deserve to look after ourselves and be healthy.”

The sessions are being held at Otterbourne primary school on Wednesday from 7.30pm.