‘Embarrassed’ mum, 49, who was ‘taking her clothes off’ loses 6st after ‘mortifying’ incident while buying new-build home

A string of health issues and an “embarrassing” incident caused Heather Powell to buy a new home to lose weight.

The mother of one, 49, weighed 21st 10st at her heaviest point. She started putting on weight after a difficult pregnancy and the birth of her son, Harry.

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During pregnancy, she developed pelvic pain, also known as symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), which led to worsening hypermobility and being on crutches from 28 weeks.

She was forced to start her maternity leave early because she could barely move, and as a result, she turned to eating for fuel and comfort.

Heather, self employed co health practitioner, he thought everything would go back to normal after she gave birth, but it didn’t.

Harry had a traumatic delivery – he was resuscitated and spent time in NICU with sepsis, and was diagnosed with apraxia and complex learning difficulties.

The stress of managing her needs and attending various hospital appointments left little time for Heather to take care of herself.

The parent, from Shropshire, said: “After we had our son [Heather and her husband] we lost our normal routine, navigating with a child who has additional needs and trying to work together.

“We were burnt out and exhausted. We got into the cycle of eating convenience foods – lots of microwave ready meals with chips and take away.

“Being fat has never been easier these days because you don’t even have to leave the house to collect a takeaway as there are so many companies offering home deliveries.”

Heather was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as well as postnatal depression.

Her poor diet left her lethargic, and the lack energy and nutrients caused the fibromyalgia to flare up, leaving her in constant pain.

She said: “As the stress increased, so did my outfit.

“I was bulging from a size 22 into a size 24. I avoided being in photos because I was embarrassed by my size.”

Heather’s weight and diet-related health issues didn’t stop there.

His gall bladder was removed in March 2020, just before the Covid lockdown.

She said: “Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was an incidental finding when they did the ultrasound to diagnose the gallstones.

“These two issues are not enough to drive change, I thought, ‘Oh well, a lot of thin people have gallstones too’ and a lot of people have NAFLD. I was in denial.

“It wasn’t until I started to wheeze and struggle to breathe – my husband said it sounded like I was taking my last breath when I snored – that I knew it was I have to see the GP.

“She told me I was in the early stages of heart failure.”

I was a sweaty, embarrassing mess

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In October 2022, Heather received another wake-up call. She and her husband had booked Miller Houses newly built house off plan.

Earlier that year, in February, they were invited to view the house at the pre-plastering stage.

Roads were still to be laid, so they had to wear safety bootshigh visibility vests and hard hats.

Heather said: “Because of my size at the time, I struggled with any footwear other than Sketchers or Ugg Boots which had just taken off.

“I couldn’t reach my feet to sweat and I was red faced and out of breath.

“I couldn’t pull them on because my ankles and feet were too fat.

“The site manager called his colleague to try and get a bigger size, hoping they would be a bit wider around the ankle but they weren’t.

“My husband could see I was struggling and tried to help me but he couldn’t get the boots on.

“I was a sweaty, embarrassed mess. The soldier saw that I was dead and said that I would just have to sign to say that I was offered the boots but did not wear them.”

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After discovering that she was in the early stages of heart failure, Heather was given blood pressure medication, and her GP recommended that she be tested. sleep apnea.

While she was waiting for her results, she decided now was the time needed to lose a lot of weight quickly to get the motivation to continue and lose more weight.

So in May 2023 she started the 1:1 Diet.

The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan is a calorie-focused program that provides meals.

The menu includes shakes, soups, porridge, savory rice, couscous and pasta dishes, smoothies and breads.

Heather said: “I was worried about starting the diet because I thought I would be hungry – I was surprised that the products were enough to satisfy my hunger. I was determined to succeed.

“I lost 11 pounds in my first week on the plan, and within five weeks I had lost 2.”

In August 2023, Heather was diagnosed with sleep apnea and had to start CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) treatment.

She had to report it to the DVLA and her driving license withdrawn.

But Heather had already lost 3st on the 1:1 diet, which meant her mobility improved and she was able to walk a lot more.

She said: “Things started to get easier. It didn’t bother me when my family had takeout, I was happy to stick to the plan because I felt so much better on the plan than I had before.

“For me, the 1:1 Diet is perfect because I don’t have to make a lot of different food.

“I usually have a bar for breakfast, soup for lunch, a hearty meal for tea, then a chocolate bar while I watch TV.

“I also drink three liters of water a day. I wasn’t drinking enough fluids before the diet – I was on maybe two or three coffees a day.”

Although Heather still has fibromyalgia and IBS, she has hardly any symptoms.

She said: “I have all the nutrients I need in my diet and I’m hydrating properly.

“Being able to exercise also helps. I notice a difference if I eat fatty foods, but these days even if I go out for a meal, I scan the menu for a healthier option because I prefer to feel good about myself.

“My blood pressure is now in the normal range, and I hope to be able to stop the medication soon. Also my sleep apnea is back and I have my driver’s license back.”