Leeds mum gave up her daily snack habit and lost an incredible 17 stone

Sarah Clarke before and after losing 17 stone
-Credit: (Image: Sarah Clarke)


A mum has lost a 'life changing' amount of weight just by not eating a snack.

Sarah Clarke has seen the amazing effects of what happens when ditched her 12-pack of crisps a day habit, as she has lost 17st. This has been a massive difference to Sarah who originally weighed 31st 6lbs and was a size 32 at her heaviest after using food to cope with trauma.

The mum from Leeds would eat large kebabs, chocolate and get through a multi-pack of 12 crisps in a day but the mum-of-one had a wake up call after being diagnosed with sleep apnoea and being unable to run around with her daughter, 11.

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She joined Slimming World, where she lost 3st 13lbs before having a gastric sleeve on the NHS. Now she has revealed she has lost 17stone 5lbs in two years and a half.

Sarah is now a healthy, 14st 1lbs and size 16, and has switched up her diet to healthy home cooked meals but still struggles with a stone of excess skin she has been left with. Not happy with being in her own skin, she wants to have skin surgery but has been denied it on the NHS.

But she is not giving up as she is trying to raise £10k to undergo the operation Sarah, who runs a mental health peer support group said: "I feel I am a women with great perseverance and drive.

"I feel it's created a strength within me. I am beautiful. I am confident.

Sarah, from Leeds, who originally weighed 31st 6lbs and was a size 32 at her heaviest after using food to cope with her trauma.
Sarah, from Leeds, who originally weighed 31st 6lbs and was a size 32 at her heaviest after using food to cope with her trauma. -Credit:SWNS

"A lot of people say I radiate joy and I'm feeling more free. I finally broke the cycle of obesity."

Sarah suffered a lot of trauma over the last ten years, including becoming homeless in 2021, and turned to food to cope.

She said: "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.

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I got kebabs all the time. A large donor kebab with cheesy chips. I was greedy.

"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, which she had in June 2022. Since then she has dropped down to 14st 1lb over the last two years by switching up her diet and now eats meals she cooks from scratch such as curries and stir fry.

Sarah is proud of her journey but still struggles with her lose skin - and has been denied the operation on the NHS three times. She has been told she needs to get to 11 or 12st before she can be reconsidered again

Emma is hoping to fundraise to get skin surgery while she is trying to be positive in her new body
Emma is hoping to fundraise to get skin surgery while she is trying to be positive in her new body -Credit:SWNS

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."

If you would like to donate to Sarah' fundraiser for skin surgery, click here.

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