Overweight mom told she’d never see 40 loses nearly 170 pounds

By Athena Stavrou via SWNS

An overweight mom told she'd never see 40 lost 12 stone (168 pounds) and is now super-fit in her 50s.

Sarah Jane Clark, 51, said she's the "fittest she's ever been" after her GP warned her she was "killing herself" by eating so much.

Sarah from Swindon, Wilts.,England, has lost 12-stone since she visited her doctor in 1997.

The mom-of-two had developed an "addiction to food" as a way to cope with being in a toxic relationship.

She had not weighed herself for years but thought she weighed around 14 st (196 lbs) - but was shocked to see she had ballooned to 22 st (308 lbs) when she was weighed at the doctors.

Now, after 16 years of "step by step" progress, Sarah Jane is a happy size ten and "fitter and stronger" than ever before.

She said: "People don't realize that a food addiction is just like any other addiction. It's not recognized at all.

"I always felt alone when I was younger. I had a woman's body really young and I had done weight watchers and the Cambridge diet by the time I was 14.

"I has such low self esteem and I started using food in a toxic way. I was in an abusive relationship too so I turned to food.

"I would go to bed and eat in secret. I felt great shame around it."

Sarah Jane got an abrupt wake up call at 26.

On a visit to her doctor, she was shocked to be told she "wouldn't see 40" if she carried on eating.

She said: "I hadn't weighed myself for years and I lived in elasticated waistbands.

"I thought I was around 14 stone but when I got on the scales at the GP I was shocked to see I was 22 stone.

"I can honestly say it took my breath away. I had no idea how heavy I was.

"The GP was very harsh and said I needed to stop eating because I was killing myself. She said I wouldn't see 40 if I carried on like this.

"I walked out crying. I can honestly say if there had been a bridge I would've jumped off it. I was so depressed. I was suicidal.

"That lack of compassion is something I want to change in other people's weight loss journeys."

Although she was tempted to once again "numb the pain" with food, Sarah Jane started her weight loss journey from that day.

She began taking small steps to change her lifestyle.

At first she just walked for 30 minutes a day at night as she was too afraid of being ridiculed by others for her size in the daylight.

She then made small food swaps, such as switching fries for jacket potatoes.

Once she had reached 15 stone (210 pounds), Sarah Jane began going to the gym.

She now focuses on eating non-processed foods, drinking four liters of water a day and looking after her mental health.

The NHS mental health worker said: "After two weeks of just walking I noticed I felt so much better. That spurred me on to making more change.

"I would say the most important thing I did to lose the weight was focusing on the basics.

"I drink four liters of water a day and eat store cupboard whole ingredients rather than processed food.

"I also had to focus on my mental health as addiction is mental as well.

"I had counseling, do a lot of meditation and practice self care."

Sarah Jane also shares her experience and weight loss tips with others.

She said: "I had a very lonely and difficult weight loss journey so I now want to help others.

"I work with people to educate families about a healthy lifestyle and I do small group workshops, I do one-to-one sessions via Zoom calls.

“It feels really rewarding to help others as I had a very painful and lonely journey with my doctor making myself feel lonely.”