A mum who lost nearly five stone after being told she needed surgery inspired her own daughters to do the same. Kim Rowarth, 54, kickstarted the family's incredible weight loss journey when she found out she needed a knee operation at the end of last year, pushing her to urgently change her lifestyle.
The primary school teacher from Glossop had tried almost every diet from Atkins, raspberry ketones and extreme "detoxes" that involved eating just eggs and walnuts - but nothing seemed to work.
Desperate for change, Kim was recommended a weight-loss clinic in Stockport which offered her a tailored weight loss programme and weekly clinics to support her. In her first month at Bodyline, she had already lost a stone and now has shed an incredible four and a half stone.
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"I just feel totally different. People have walked past me in the street and not noticed it’s me, which just means you obviously look that different don’t you," she said.
"I work in reception in a primary school so I’m up and down running after the children. It’s made me more confident and it’s just amazing. My knee is better since I’ve been going to the gym, I’ve been walking every day now I’ve lost all the weight."
Seeing her mum's transformation, Kim's daughter Aimee, 31, decided to follow suit after struggling with her own body weight for years. "I’ve always been to various random diet groups and never got anywhere with it. I was sick of the way that I was," she said.
"When I used to go out anywhere and catch a glimpse of myself, I used to pull my t-shirt away from my stomach constantly out of habit. That was until I saw how well my mum had done and I thought I’d try it. I’ve never looked back. I’ve lost over 3.5 stone and I feel better than ever."
Things didn't stop there, with Kim's daughter-in-law Hannah, 37, also deciding to get involved after failing to lose the weight she'd gained after having children.
"I’d had two children by caesarean section, and it was a real struggle trying to get the weight off, particularly where it was sitting on the scar line," she said. "Before that, I’d never struggled with my weight and used to regularly run. When I had children, I just piled the weight on."
With a combination of nurse-led weight loss medication and community support, Aimee and Hannah lost over 3.5 stone each, taking the family's combined weight loss total to over 11 stone 8lbs.
For Aimee, the weight loss has affected every area of her life, not just her appearance. "My own grandma didn’t notice me," she said. "No joke, my own gran didn’t recognise me."
"I’m just a lot happier. Everyone at work comments about it, someone actually said that I look taller and it’s probably because now I stand up properly instead of slouching and trying to hide my belly.
"I stand with more confidence…My wife says I seem a lot happier and confident in everything I do. She does occasionally moan a bit because she says now, I’m getting too skinny. I’d never have thought that would be an issue before."
For Hannah, one of the biggest positives has been the fact that she is back to her pre-baby weight, allowing her to enjoy being a mum and keep up with her young children.
"I’m more energetic. I’ve got a two-year-old so that keeps me on my toes, but now I have more energy with my children and I don’t get out of breath," she said. "Life is so much easier, and you feel so much nicer when you do go out and get dressed up. I feel nice in a dress again, and it’s been a long time coming."
As an added bonus, the trio were able to make over £2,000 from selling their old clothes. Kim, Aimee and Hannah all attended the Bodyline Clinic in Stockport where they were either prescribed Phentermine or Diethylpropion appetite suppressants, according to which suited their lifestyle and medical history better.
The nurses weigh each patient, check their blood pressure and work out a tailored diet and exercise plan to fit with each person’s lifestyle in order to help them reach their goals.
Bodyline’s CEO Sally-Ann Turner, said: "People come to Bodyline because they have tried everything, they’re often at their wits end and desperate to make positive changes. They stay with us, not just because our programmes do work quickly, but because they feel supported and part of a community.
"Our clients feel that they can be themselves without judgement. It’s our company ethos that helps us time and again to support people to lose weight, even where they have failed before."
