Sarah Clarke, a 35 year old mum from Leeds, Yorkshire, has undergone a dramatic transformation, shedding an incredible 17 stone after ditching her daily dozen packs of crisps habit. At her heaviest, Sarah tipped the scales at a staggering 31st 6lbs and wore a size 32, using food as a crutch to deal with personal trauma.
Her diet once consisted of large kebabs, chocolate bars, and a relentless consumption of crisps.
The turning point for Sarah, who is also a dedicated mother to an 11 year old daughter, came when she was diagnosed with sleep apnoea and realised she couldn’t keep up with her child’s energy. She initially lost 3st 13lbs through Slimming World and then underwent gastric sleeve surgery on the NHS, which contributed to her total weight loss of 17stone 5lbs over two and a half years.
Now weighing a healthy 14st 1lbs and fitting into a size 16, Sarah has embraced a new lifestyle of nutritious home-cooked meals.
Despite her success, Sarah faces a new challenge: dealing with a stone of excess skin, a remnant of her previous self. The NHS has refused to fund her skin removal surgery, prompting her to fundraise £10k for the procedure to erase the “scars of my old life”, reports Wales Online.
As the leader of a mental health peer support group, Sarah reflects on her journey with pride, saying: “I feel I am a woman with great perseverance and drive. I feel it’s created a strength within me.”
“I am beautiful. I am confident. A lot of people say I radiate joy. I’m feeling more free. I finally broke the cycle of obesity.”
Her past decade has been marred by significant hardships, including a period of homelessness in 2021, but Sarah found solace and ultimately dependency in food. She confessed: “Food has been a massive comfort. It became an addiction.”
“Food became my therapy when it actually abused me. I’d have a 12 bag of crisps a day. I got kebabs all the time. A large donor kebab with cheesy chips. I was greedy.”
“I was eating that much I felt sick and I used to sweat.”
Sarah also struggled with her health conditions – fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue – and was also diagnosed with sleep apnoea. She was motivated to change after realising she didn’t want to “die like this” and so she could be a better mum to her daughter, 11.
Sarah said: “My daughter has so much energy. I remember going to the park and barley making it up the hill. I was so tired I couldn’t give any energy to her. It made me feel sad.”
“I watched other mums in shorts batting with their kids. I thought I wish I could do that. I told myself – ‘do you want to die like this? ‘ I’ve got so much to live for.”
Sarah joined Slimming World in January 2022 and lost 3st 13lbs naturally before getting a call offering her a gastric sleeve. She had her operation in June 2022 and has dropped down to 14st 1lb over the last two years.
Sarah switched up her diet and now eats meals she cooks from scratch such as curries and stir fry.
She still struggled to adjust to her new small frame, but was supported by her Slimming World consultant. She said: “I was learning how to live with a new stomach but an old mindset. I had to make a conscious decision everyday to choose me.”
“My mind was still looking at 31st me.”
Sarah’s life has transformed after shedding the pounds; she no longer suffers from sleep apnoea, can tie her own shoelaces, and rises from bed with ease. Now an avid gym-goer with a personal trainer on her side, and walking as part of her routine, she opens up: “My feet used to swell up.”
But it wasn’t always easy, as Sarah admits, “I was in pain constantly all the time. I could barely get off the sofa.”
Yet there are still challenges ahead for Sarah, who battles with excess skin despite her weight loss triumphs. After being turned away by the NHS three times for surgery, she is determined to reach a target weight between 11 or 12 stone for reconsideration.
Describing her plight, Sarah confides, “It’s still preventing me from doing the stuff I’d like to do with my daughter – like swimming.”
The physical reminders of her past weigh heavily on her, as she states, “I can’t wear a sleeveless dress. The scars of my old life are haunting me.”
In a bid to turn the page, Sarah has embarked on a fundraising campaign for her skin removal surgery. Supporters are invited to contribute at her GoFundMe page here.
