A nurse who burst through her PPE while bending over at work has dropped six dress sizes after the incident left her "mortified".
Sarah Wynter, 40, an intensive care nurse, said her size 22 frame meant she struggled to make it through gruelling 12-hour shifts. The mum-of-two saw first-hand the devastating impact covid had on overweight people and decided she needed to make a change.
She had joined Slimming World in January 2020, and has since shrunk to a size 10, swapping her XXL nursing uniform for a small, Wales Online reports.
READ MORE: Mum looks unrecognisable after ditching fizzy drink habit
Proud Sarah, from Hereford, said: "Working as an NHS nurse is intense both mentally and physically. I was wearing size 2XL scrubs and would leave each shift on my knees, totally and utterly exhausted.
"My body ached all over from being on my feet all day, I had severe joint pain and I’d be breathless from running around. The personal protective equipment (PPE) I wore was so hot that I’d sweat profusely and would have to change my scrubs whenever I went for a break.
"Working in intensive therapy unit (ITU) during the Covid-19 pandemic was a scary time and my thoughts often turned to how well I’d be able to fight off the virus if I did catch it. I knew that obesity was a contributing factor for many people who struggled with covid, so it was a constant worry for me and having joined Slimming World just before the first lockdown this really drove my motivation to keep going.”
Sarah said she had previously tried every diet she could think of, adding: "They’d all work for a while, but I’d soon lose motivation and end up regaining any weight I’d lost."
She said the turning point was when a new box of hazmat suits arrived at the Intensive Care Unit. Sarah said: "The box was marked ‘one size’ which instantly worried me.
"I did manage to get the suit on, but the first time I bent over it ripped from my neck down to my bottom. I laughed it off with everyone else in the room but inside I was mortified."
Sarah, who lives with husband John, 49, a farmer, and their children Alfie, 18, and Maisey, 14, began losing weight steadily after a few months. Alongside Slimming World's diet, she's also found a new lease of life and regularly hikes in the hills near her home.
She is now thrilled she's been able to lose the weight "without going hungry". Sarah added: "I soon found that filling up on healthy meals kept me well fuelled throughout the day though and I started to feel in control of my eating habits even during stressful shifts.
"Before I lost weight I was pretty inactive. I’d be exhausted after a 12.5 hour shift, so walking the dog to the end of the road was about all I could manage [bit] I built it up gradually at my own pace by walking just a little bit further every time I went out.
"Now I love nothing more than a hike in the Brecon Beacons. I’ve even completed a couple of charity challenges and would love to climb Kilimanjaro next year. I’m living my best life and that’s an incredible feeling."
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
READ NEXT:
UK travellers will have to pay to enter Europe from end of 2023
Emmerdale viewers alarmed as they 'work out' 'creepy' Caleb Dingle twist
DVLA warning as millions of driving licences to become invalid
Woman, 81, shouts six powerful words to Prince William
Carol Vorderman says she is currently dating five 'special friends'
