Woman who always needed a seatbelt extender reveals how she shed more than 11 stone
15.04.2024 - 19:25
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Just over a year ago, Sarah Speight tipped the scales at 25 stone and hated the mere thought of exercising. A food addiction meant the 35-year-old, from Stalybridge, had reached her heaviest-ever weight and dreaded leaving the house.
Having spent most of her life unsuccessfully trying to diet, Sarah was at a breaking point - her confidence shattered and her anxiety through the roof.
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But these days she couldn’t be further removed from her old self - now weighing 11 and a half stone lighter while turning her loathing of exercise into a passion.
After considering gastric bypass surgery for several years, Sarah paid privately to undergo the major procedure in February 2023.
Clinging to the operation as her last hope, Sarah was warned it wasn’t a miracle weight loss cure and she would need to completely change her lifestyle habits for it to be a long term success.
And while it took a dramatic leap of faith and strong determination to kickstart that journey, she credits a special bunch of Active Tameside instructors with motivating and supporting her - now attending their gym classes up to three times a day.
“I was addicted to food and once I started eating, I couldn’t stop,” Sarah, who works for the fraud team for an online bank, said.
“I’d be making my tea but I’d already have been in the fridge and eaten enough for four people before I’d even had my tea. And then I’d still be hungry, eating chocolate and crisps afterwards. I just couldn’t stop.
“I’d had weight issues right from being young and it just got worse and worse as time went on.
“For years my confidence was on the floor. I hated going out, I hated speaking to people, I just wanted to