A mom of four who lost 144 pounds (approx. 65 kg) in 15 months was mistaken for her husband’s mistress after a friend didn’t recognize her new look.
At her biggest, Sarah Buchanan, from St. Austell, Cornwall, England, was morbidly obese, tipping the scales at 347 pounds (approx. 157 kg) and struggling to squeeze into an XXL size.
However, the 33-year-old mother felt the need to beat the bulge when her doctor told her in August 2019 that she had diabetes and that she may need to have gastric bypass surgery.
Over the next 10 months, Sarah ditched the sandwiches and unhealthy snacks and started cooking homemade meals with fresh ingredients from scratch.
The overhaul of her diet saw her lose 144 pounds and slim down to 203 pounds (approx. 92 kg); she now looks almost unrecognizable to friends and family.
A friend even thought Sarah’s husband, Daniel, 39, was cheating on her at first when she spotted the pair out in the village after her impressive weight loss.
Sarah said: “We were waiting outside for my dad to pick us up and my friend spotted us and thought Dan had another woman by his side.
“Then she realized it was still me. It was quite funny and flattering really. My husband has got a new woman—quite literally it seems.”
The proud husband Daniel said: “She looks so different that people have thought she was another woman, it’s quite funny really. People just can’t believe how much she has changed.
“I am so proud of her. It’s incredible that she has lost so much in such a short space of time.”
In August 2019, Sarah went for a health checkup which revealed she had diabetes.
“It was shocking, but it was scary when they told me I might need surgery,” she said.
“I didn’t realize quite how bad I had got. It was worrying and I felt like I could have a heart attack at any minute and not be there for my children.
“Finding out the diagnosis frightened me so I knew I had to do something. I finally feel like the real me. I feel happy.”
Sarah had been eating unhealthy food since childhood—with a penchant for sandwiches and bread. Since her diagnosis, she has made massive changes in her life.
She has swapped the carb-heavy diet for healthy alternatives and has taken up daily exercise, such as jogging and walking.
“I went from eating two sandwiches at lunch to having healthy soups and salads and actually exercising,” Sarah said.
“I started jogging on the spot each day for 10 minutes and gradually built it up. Now I can jog for an hour on the treadmill.”
Sarah, who had always been overweight, had also suffered bullying as a child. Now, after adjusting her diet and losing weight, her diabetes has reversed, and she finally feels happy and healthy.
“I was called a ‘fat pig’ and ‘fat cow,’ it was horrible,” Sarah said. “But now I feel amazing.
“My son keeps giving me a hug and saying: ‘I can get my arms around you now mummy.’
“I’m glowing now.”
Epoch Times staff contributed to this report.
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