'Doctor said I was killing myself but dress photo made me lose 12.5st in a year'
'Doctor said I was killing myself but dress photo made me lose 12.5st in a year'
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A 60-year-old woman who was so overweight that a doctor told her her her life was in danger lost 12.5 stone in a year, but not before putting some more on. Karen Bates was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and her cardiologist told her that losing weight was crucial for her survival.
Karen, who lives in Nottinghamshire, found herself gaining more weight despite the diagnosis, and by April 2023, she knew it was time for a change. "We'd been out for my husband's birthday and I was looking at some photos taken on the night," Karen said. "I looked awful, with a swollen face, my 'big' dress was tight and I just felt terrible. I knew I had to do something big and to hurry up about it too.".
Karen, a night support worker in a children's care home, had tried every diet: WW, Slimming World, Atkins, Keto, high-fibre - and although each one had been somewhat successful, nothing seemed to work long-term. She started following Natalie Carter, a 1:1 diet consultant on Instagram. "I'd been following Nat on Instagram and saw her weight loss journey and that she was a consultant for the 1:1 diet plan by the Cambridge Diet," Karen said. "I'd decided I needed to do something different and drastic. I spoke to my husband, and at first I thought it was expensive but when you compared it to some of the things I'd been eating and drinking, it wasn't.
"I chatted to Nat and she felt she could help me. I wanted to lose at least two stone by July when I had my next cardiologist appointment. I thought 'well, even if it gives me a boost, I might be able to move some weight'. I just felt I had to do something to take away all temptation and to be really strict. Let's face it, eating sensibly certainly hadn't worked!" Karen began the new plan on April 21, 2023 and the results were immediate. "I lost 11.75lb in my first week - nearly a stone," Karen reveals.
