Yorkshire mum who ate 12 packs of crisps a day sheds incredible 17st

A mum who used to consume a 12-pack of crisps daily has shed an impressive 17 stone, enabling her to play with her daughter.

Sarah Clarke, 35, tipped the scales at 31st 6lbs and wore a size 32 at her heaviest, using food as a coping mechanism for her trauma. Her diet consisted of large kebabs, chocolate, and she would easily eat a multi-pack of 12 crisps in a single day.

However, the diagnosis of sleep apnoea and the inability to keep up with her 11 year old daughter served as a wake-up call for the single mum.

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She initially lost some weight through Slimming World before undergoing gastric sleeve surgery on the NHS, resulting in a 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 revamped her diet to include nutritious home-cooked meals. However, she still grapples with a stone of excess skin left behind.

Despite being denied skin surgery on the NHS, she is determined to raise £10k for the operation to remove what she calls the "scars of my old life".

Sarah, who leads a mental health peer support group in Leeds, Yorkshire, said: "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."

Sarah has faced significant trauma over the past decade, including homelessness in 2021, which led her to seek comfort 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 realizing 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 barely 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."

Sarah joined Slimming World in January 2022, helping her to lose 3st 13lbs, 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 every day to choose me. My mind was still looking at 31st me."

Sarah has successfully overcome sleep apnoea and can now easily tie her shoes and get out of bed without any struggle. She's back to the gym with a personal trainer and enjoys regular walks.

She shared: "My feet used to swell up. I was in pain constantly all the time. I could barely get off the sofa."

Despite proud progress, Sarah is still battling the challenge of loose skin and has faced NHS operation denial three times.

Being advised she must reach 11 or 12 stone to be reconsidered for surgery, Sarah said: "It's still preventing me from doing the stuff I'd like to do with my daughter - like swimming."

"I can't wear a sleeveless dress. The scars of my old life are haunting me."

In an endeavour to fund her skin removal surgery, Sarah has launched a fundraising effort, urging people to donate here.