‘Ashamed’ mum, 49, who was ‘bulging out of her clothes’ loses 6st after ‘mortifying’ incident when buying new-build home

A STRING of health issues and an “embarrassing” incident when buying a new-build house triggered Heather Powell to lose weight.

The mum-of-one, 49, clocked 21st 10lbs at her heaviest. She began 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 her hypermobility worsening and being on crutches from 28 weeks. 

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

Heather, a self employed foot health practitioner, thought everything would go back to normal once she’d given 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. 

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The stress of handling his needs and attending various hospital appointments left little time for Heather to look after herself. 

The parent, from Shropshire, said: “After having our son, we [Heather and her husband] lost our normal routine, as we were navigating a baby with additional needs and trying to juggle working. 

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

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

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

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

She said: “As the stress increased so did my dress size.

“I was bulging out of a size 22 into a size 24. I avoided being in photographs because I was ashamed of my size.”

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

She had her gall bladder removed in March 2020, just before the Covid lockdown.

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

“These two issues weren’t enough to trigger change, I just thought, ‘Oh well, plenty of thin people have gallstones too’ and lots of people have NAFLD. I was in denial. 

“It was only when I started to wheeze and struggle with my breathing - my husband said I sounded like I was taking my last breath when I snored - that I knew I needed to see the GP.

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

I was a sweaty, embarrassed mess

Heather

In October 2022, Heather received another wake up call. She and her husband had reserved a Miller Homes new-build house off plan. 

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

Roads were yet to be laid, so they were required to wear safety boots, high visibility vests and hard hats. 

Heather said: “Due to my size at that time, I struggled to wear any footwear other than Sketchers or Ugg Boots which just slipped on.

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

“I couldn’t pull them on as my ankles and legs were too fat. 

“The site foreman shouted to his colleague to try and find a bigger size, hoping they’d be slightly wider around the ankle but they weren’t. 

“My husband could see I was struggling and he tried to help me but no amount of heaving could get the boots on. 

“I was a sweaty, embarrassed mess. The foreman could see I was mortified and said I would just have to sign to say I’d been offered the boots but didn’t wear them.”

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After finding out she was in the early stages of heart failure, Heather was given blood pressure medication, and her GP recommended she be tested for sleep apnoea. 

While she was waiting for her results, she decided now was the time she needed to lose a lot of weight quickly in order 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 programme where meals are provided. 

The menu includes shakes, soups, porridge, savoury rice, couscous and pasta dishes, smoothies and meal bars. 

Heather said: “I was nervous 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 11lbs in my first week on the plan, and within five weeks I had lost 2st.”

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

She had to inform DVLA and her driving licence was withdrawn. 

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

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

“For me, the 1:1 Diet is perfect because I don’t have to fiddle around making lots of different food.

“I usually have a bar for breakfast, soup for lunch, a savoury meal for tea, then a chocolate bar while I’m watching TV. 

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

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

She said: “My diet has all the nutrients I need and I’m hydrating properly. 

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“Being able to exercise also helps. I do 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 as I prefer feeling good in myself. 

“My blood pressure is in normal range now, and I hope that I may be able to stop the medication soon. Also my sleep apnea is back and I’ve got my driving licence back."