A woman lost 17 stone after fearing she was eating her way to an early grave - and wouldn't be around to see her grandchildren grow up. Dawn Lambert, 52, initially lost nine stone in 2014 but went on to shed a further eight stone over the coming years, a total of two thirds of her body weight.
Tipping the scales at 26st 4lbs and struggling to squeeze into a size 36, Dawn's weight exacerbated her health problems. She suffered from health issues including asthma, blood clots in her legs and lungs, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diverticulitis - a digestive condition that affected her large intestine.
She also battled with lipoedema which is a painful build up of fat in her arms and legs and lymphedema, which is a chronic condition that causes swelling in the body’s tissues. The grandmother also suffered from osteoarthritis and a sluggish bowel meaning she was forced to take laxatives.
Dawn also had a serious case of septicaemia following an operation to repair her bowel, and suffered with chronic fatigue syndrome following the procedure. Worried she wouldn't see her children or grandchildren grow up if she didn't do something about her weight, she joined Slimming World and lost an impressive 17 stone.
Dawn now weighs a healthier 9 stone 4lbs and slips into a slender size 10 with ease. Dawn, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, says: “I’d been overweight for much of my life.
"I never really felt like I ate that much, but I was stuck in an overeat-and-restrict cycle which saw my weight go up and up. My asthma was out of control most days and I couldn’t even get up my stairs to bed without using my inhaler.
"I knew without losing weight my health issues would continue to get worse. After a period of ill health, I was told by a liver surgeon that I had PBC antibodies.
"This indicates a type of liver disease that can eventually lead to liver failure. I therefore needed to lose weight to give me a better life expectancy.
"This really scared me. I knew I wanted to live long enough to see my son get married and to see my future grandchildren grow up.
"I had to change, or I wasn’t going to be around. That was a terrifying thought.”
Following a recommendation from her brother, the grandmother-of-two decided to join Slimming World. She said: “My brother told me that he’d joined Slimming World and was listing all of the food he could eat.
"I thought it sounded too good to be true, so I went along to see for myself. I’d tried every diet you could think of before, but none of them worked because I always ended up hungry and then reaching for something unhealthy to fill me up.”
Dawn added: "I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to eat so much and still lose weight. I was still having a full English and a roast dinner, I was just preparing them in a different way.
"At my first weigh-in I lost 10.5lbs and I was in total shock. I realised Slimming World was totally different from the things I’d tried in the past.
“I did feel nervous about joining a group because when you’re 26st meeting new people is very nerve-wracking as you always worry people are judging you. But I had my mam with me for support and quickly realised that everyone there is in the same boat.
"I’ve never experienced any judgement or been made to feel ashamed. Everyone’s always been so kind and I’ve made some wonderful friends.
"They really helped me in my journey and now that I’m at my target weight, I love that I’m able to share my experiences to help other people too.” Dawn's target weight is 9st 4lbs, meaning she dropped from a dress size 36 to a size 10.
The thrilled grandmother has been named Slimming World's Diamond Member Of The Year. Dawn, who is single, said: “Losing weight gave me the confidence to take up walking and join a gym, which is something I never could have imagined before.
"Unfortunately, I’m not currently able to exercise, though I know that my weight loss has had a profound impact on my overall fitness. I will always have to live with my conditions, though now I’m a healthy weight, I can keep them under control with daily medications.
"My health issues mean I am often house-bound, so my Slimming World group is a lifeline for me.” One of the benefits of Dawn’s weight loss is the extra time it has given her with her family.
She says: “I have two beautiful little granddaughters, Willow, who is almost four, and India, who is almost two. There was a point in my life when I didn’t think I’d be around to meet them, let alone see them grow up.
"To know I’ve done everything I can to see that, is a dream come true.” Dawn has transformed the way she cooks and eats and is now leading a healthier lifestyle.
Here is Dawn's diet, before and after her weight loss transformation.
Dawn's diet before joining her local slimming club
Breakfast: Greggs bacon sandwich and black coffee
Lunch: Greggs sandwich, crisps and Snickers
Dinner: Slow-cooker hot-pot
Snacks: Snickers, crisps, cream cake, Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut family-size chocolate bar
Dawn's diet after joining her local slimming club
Breakfast: Homemade cooked breakfast with grilled bacon (fat removed), mushrooms and tomatoes, egg fried in low-calorie cooking spray, beans and two slices of wholemeal toast
Lunch: Homemade pasta bake with passata and vegetables
Dinner: Shepherd’s pie (cooked with lean minced beef) and vegetables on the side
Snack: Snickers, homemade hummus with vegetable sticks, cheese and crackers
