Obese mother loses 17 STONE after missing son’s award ceremony because she feared she’d break the chairs – and is crowned Slimming World’s Woman of the Year
An obese mother lost 17 stone after she missed her sons school awards ceremony because she feared she would break the chairs.
At nearly 29 stone,Kim Freshwater often avoided weddings and parties for fear of embarrassing husband Lee and their three children.
The 45-year-old also missed a family funeral because she couldn’t walk between the church and the graveside. But she finally decided to diet after missing her son’s ceremony.
Before shedding 17 stone, Kim Freshwater, 45, weighed 29st and wore size 38 clothes. She suffered back and knee pain, breathing difficulties, high blood pressure and was unable to fit in armchairs
Mrs Freshwater lost 17st and now weighs 11st 7lbs and wears size 10 or 12 clothes. She says she is happier than she has ever been before.
She can now do many things she was unable to do before her weight loss, such as cycling and playing tennis
Less than three years on, she has dropped from a dress size 38 to a 10 or 12 and has been named Slimming World’s Woman of the Year.
Mrs Freshwater, from Havant, Hampshire, said: I had to walk with sticks and I couldnt fit in the seats at the cinema or on rides like rollercoasters.
I once broke a chair at my friends house, which was mortifying, and I even slept on the floor when we went away because I was so scared the bed wouldnt be able to take my weight.
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Ive missed so many wonderful moments with my family and I can never get those back, but now Im determined to make up for lost time and theres so much I want to do.
Mrs Freshwater had weight problems for most of her life and at the age of 11 was already a dress size 14 to 16.
Then, when her father died when she was still a teenager she started comfort eating.
Before she lost weight, Mrs Freshwater avoided attending events for fear of embarrassing her husband and children.
She said: My dad had always been my best friend and I suppose I used food to fill the hole he left.
As I got older, people would always say how pretty Id be if I lost weight and I did try, but the diets I did were only ever quick fixes – Id regain all the weight I lost as soon as I stopped.
She added: I felt Id let my family down because I wasnt there to support them.
I was so upset about it one night that I couldnt sleep and there was a programme on TV about funerals, showing how severely overweight people need special coffins and how difficult it is to cremate their bodies.
It was as if someone was trying to tell me something – I didnt ever want to have to put my family through that.
Mrs Freshwater suffered from high blood pressure, breathing problems, and back and knee pain because of her weight so her GP prescribed her 12 weeks of vouchers for her local Slimming World Group.
Mrs Freshwater said: ‘I’ve missed so many wonderful moments with my family and I can never get those back, but now I’m determined to make up for lost time and there’s so much I want to do’
She said: I was worried people would judge me or the scales wouldnt go up to my weight.
I neednt have been so nervous though because everyone made me feel so welcome and my consultant, Georgina, was really friendly.
Mrs Freshwater lost 44lbs in her first 12 weeks and has now lost a total of 243lbs, dropping from 28st 12lbs to 11st 7lbs.
She has transformed her eating habits, swapping one huge meal a day for three healthy home-made meals and snacks.
She said: I actually eat more now than I did before but Ive learned to make good choices.
The plan isnt a diet, we all eat together as a family and we have lots of our old favourite meals, just adjusted so theyre cooked in a healthier way.
Before her weight loss, Mrs Freshwater did not eat any breakfast or lunch – she just gorged on a huge supper. Now she eats three small meals a day
Now she plays tennis, goes swimming, walks miles – without her sticks – and has started cycling again for the first time in 20 years.
She even abseiled 350 feet down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, raising £600 for charity.
She said: I love that I dont need seatbelt extensions on planes any more, I can sit in chairs with arms, I can shop on the high street – the list is endless.
My husband jokes that my weight loss has been hard on his bank balance because before I used to have four pairs of shoes but now Ive got about 40 and I only wore black but now my wardrobes full of every colour of the rainbow.
I dont think I realised how unhappy I was until I became as happy as I am now.
HOW HAS MRS FRESHWATER’S DIET CHANGED?
Before:
Breakfast: Nothing
Lunch: Nothing
Dinner: Lasagne with a cheesy sauce, oven chips and garlic bread.
Late night snacks: Crisps, toast, chocolate
After:
Breakfast: A full English grilled lean bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes with eggs fried in low calorie cooking spray
Mid-morning: A piece of fresh fruit or a fat-free yoghurt
Lunch: A chicken salad of cooked chicken pieces, new potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber
Mid-afternoon: A high-fibre cereal bar
Dinner: Home-made spaghetti bolognese made with extra-lean minced beef and lots of vegetables. Followed by a fresh fruit salad
Snacks: Fresh fruit, fat-free yoghurts, low calorie hot chocolate and a chocolate bar
Source Mail Online
