"I was raised to 'waste not want not' and with two older brothers, I was served the same huge portions as them!" says Irene, who struggled with weight issues throughout her life.
As a teenager, Irene Dougall had what her parents called a 'healthy appetite'. "When I was young, I found it easy to lose weight when I wanted to;' she says, "but I would put it all on again - and more besides!"
By the time she retired from her busy life as a school teacher, Irene was struggling to fit into a size 18 dress size.
"I avoided mirrors and hid behind loose and unshapely garments, dreading social occasions that might require me to buy something more fitted," she admits.
But the excess weight wasn't affecting only how she saw herself. Soon it started to affect her health and made her feel so much older.
"I had aches and pains in my joints, I was feeling bloated all the time and becoming slower and just tired all the time."
So Irene decided to start afresh and found Scottish Slimmers' plans gave her a totally different experience, in fact, completely changed her approach to life.
She says, "Following my plan didn't feel like a chore - more of a different, more fun way of living," she says.
Just 8 months after joining Scottish Slimmers, Irene fit into a size 12 and weighing less than she had in decades.
She lost over 3 stone and completely changed her lifestyle. "I am walking every day and swimming twice a week," says Irene.
"Long gone is any sense of being frumpy. I feel lighter, fitter and I am having more fun too!"