Sarah Clarke, a 35-year-old mum from Leeds, Yorkshire, has undergone a dramatic transformation, losing an incredible 17 stone after ditching her daily habit of eating a dozen packets of crisps. At her lowest point, Sarah weighed a staggering 31st 6st and wore a size 32, using food as a crutch to cope with personal trauma.
Her diet It once consisted of large kebabs, chocolate bars and the relentless consumption of crisps.
A turning point for Sarah, who is also a devoted mother to an 11-year-old daughtercame when she was diagnosed with sleep apnoea and realised she couldn't keep up with her baby's energy. She first lost 313lbs with Slimming World and then had gastric sleeve surgery on the NHS, contributing to her total weight loss of 17 stone 5lbs over two and a half years.
Now weighing 14.1 pounds and a size 16, Sarah has adopted a new lifestyle of healthy, home-cooked meals.
Despite her success, Sarah faces a new challenge: coping with a slab of excess skin, a remnant of her former self. The NHS has refused to fund her skin removal surgery, prompting her to raise £10,000 for a procedure to erase the “scars of my old life”, reports Wales Online.
As a leader of a mental health support group, Sarah looks back on her journey with pride, saying, “I feel like I’m a woman with a lot of tenacity and determination. I feel like that’s created strength in me.”
“I am beautiful. I am confident. Many say that I radiate joy. I feel more free. I have finally broken the vicious cycle of obesity.”
Her last decade has been marred by significant hardships, including a period of homelessness in 2021, but Sarah found solace and, ultimately, addiction in food. She admitted: “Food was a huge comfort. It became an addiction.”
“Food became my therapy when it was basically abusing me. I was eating 12 packets of crisps a day. I was getting kebabs all the time. Big donor kebabs with cheese chips. I was greedy.”
“I ate so much that I felt sick and sweated.”
Sarah also struggled with her own health issues – fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue – and was also diagnosed with sleep apnea. She was motivated to change when she realized she didn't want to “die like this” and that she could be a better mom to her daughter, 11.
Sarah said: “My daughter has so much energy. I remember we went to the park and climbed a hill. I was so tired that I couldn't give her any energy. I felt sad.”
“I watched other moms in shorts hitting the ball with their kids. I thought, I wish I could do that. I said to myself, 'Is this how you want to die?' I have so much to live for.”
Sarah joined Slimming World in January 2022 and lost 3st 13lbs naturally before she was called and offered a gastric sleeve. She had the operation in June 2022 and has lost 14st 1lbs over the last two years.
Sarah has changed her diet and now eats foods that she cooks herself, such as curries and fried foods.
She was still struggling to adjust to her new smaller frame, but had the support of a Slimming World consultant. She said: “I was learning to live with a new belly but an old mindset. I had to make a conscious decision every day to choose myself.”
“My mind was still occupied with the 31st me.”
Sarah's life has changed since shedding the pounds; she no longer suffers from sleep apnea, can tie her own shoelaces and gets out of bed with ease. She is now an avid gym-goer with a personal trainer and walking as part of her daily routine, and admits: “My feet used to swell.”
But it wasn't always easy, as Sarah admits: “I was in constant pain. I could barely get off the couch.”
But Sarah, who struggles with excess skin despite her weight loss triumphs, still has challenges ahead. After being refused surgery three times by the NHS, she is determined to reach her target weight of 11 or 12 stone for a review.
Describing her plight, Sarah admits: “It still stops me from doing things I would like to do with my daughter, like swimming.”
Physical reminders of her past weigh heavily on her, as she states, “I can't wear a sleeveless dress. The scars of my past life haunt me.”
In an attempt to turn the page, Sarah has launched a campaign to raise funds for her skin removal surgery. Supporters are invited to contribute on her GoFundMe page Here.