A woman who was told she would die if she didn’t lose weight has lost a staggering 23st- and is now trying to quality for IVF treatment.
Sarah Priddice, 35, from Street, Somerset, weighed 36st at her heaviest – and has now managed to drop to 13st.
The childminder had a gastric bypass and then joined her local Slimming World club in order to drop the weight.
She began her diet and exercise regime in 2015 after being told she only had a year to live if she kept eating the way she was.
Now, after years of dieting and the bypass she only has to lose another stone to get her BMI into the overweight category needed for funded IVF.
Sarah Priddice, 35, from Street, Somerset, weighed 36st at her heaviest – and has now managed to drop to 13st
The childminder, who was told she would die if she didn’t lose weight, has lost a staggering 23st – and is now trying to quality for IVF treatment
Sarah has been with her husband Craig for four years and has struggled to conceive since they got married in October 2017.
The NHS will not fund IVF for anyone in the obese BMI category – with a BMI of over 29.
Although private clinics will, the success rates for those who are heavier are not as favourable.
Women are always encouraged to lose as much weight as possible before starting treatment.
Sarah has been with her husband Craig for four years (pictured together) and has struggled to conceive – but is now 1st off qualifying for IVF
The childminder (pictured, now) had a gastric bypass and then joined her local Slimming World club in order to drop the weight, and says she hopes her story will inspire others
Sarah said being told by doctors that her weight was killing her was ‘a huge wake-up call.’
She was even told she was too big for the gastric bypass unless she lost 6st because the anaesthetic would be dangerous for someone of her size.
‘I lost six stone in six months, a stone a month doing a different fad diet each week to keep myself interested,’ she explained.
‘I did the baked bean diet, the soup diet, the lettuce diet, the shake diet, which was the worst because I don’t like milk.
‘Then I had a gastric bypass. I couldn’t have one to begin with because I was too big and had to lose six stone.’
Sarah had the bypass privately in November 2015 because the waiting list on the NHS was so long she feared dying before she got the surgery.
After years of dieting and the bypass she is 13st and only has to lose another stone to get her BMI into the overweight category needed for funded IVF
Sarah said being told by doctors that her weight was killing her was ‘a huge wake-up call’ and began her weight loss journey
She began her diet and exercise regime in 2015 after being told she only had a year to live if she kept eating the way she was
She lost 12st after the bypass and then joined Slimming World in January 2020. Since then she has lost an additional 4.5st.
Earlier this year, she also had skin surgery to remove 9lbs of excess skin from her stomach area.
Now her BMI has dropped to 31 from a staggering 78 but she still needs to lose another stone to qualify for the IVF.
Sarah detailed her journey on Facebook and thanked her Slimming World leader Emma Schnitzer.
Sarah had to lose 6st to have a gastric bypass, which she had done privately in November 2015. The NHS waiting list was so long she feared dying before she got the surgery. Pictured, a her heaviest
Sarah said that having a baby would be ‘fantastic’ and is hoping to get her BMI down so she will qualify
She added: ‘It’s all quite overwhelming, but I hope it will help to inspire others to make a positive healthy change to their lifestyles and to see that hard work and determination will pay off if they keep going.’
She said that having a baby would be ‘fantastic.’
She added: ‘I need to lose another stone to get to 12st which will mean my BMI will be in the weight range for our IVF treatment.
‘At the moment I’m still classified as obese on the BMI scale which means we don’t qualify for it yet.’