'I was too big to fit on US theme park rides on holiday, so I lost 25 stone'

A mum who was so big she couldn't fit on any of the rides at Universal Studios in Florida decided to change her life - and lost 25 stones. Sarah Price’s weight spiralled out of control when she turned to comfort eating after becoming a mum and she hit 37 stone and a dress size 30.

Sarah says she was so large she was finding it hard to drive and she avoided shopping trips with her daughters, Ashleigh, 30, and 20-year-old, Lucy. But it was a family holiday to Universal Studios in Orlando that pushed the now 50-year-old to the breaking point.

Sarah, from Dudley, West Midlands, said: “They put me onto one ride and the seatbelt wouldn’t fasten. I was mortified. I didn’t go on anything the whole holiday. I felt like I spoiled it for my daughter. I felt really humiliated; I was really embarrassed.

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“I had a fear of getting stuck on the rides. I always felt as though people were looking at me and judging me.”

Sarah spent years trying to slim down in weight loss groups, but nothing seemed to work. She picked at her kids’ leftovers instead of cooking proper meals, relied on sweet treats for comfort and never managed to stick to a balanced diet.

Her weight issues came to a head when she caught Covid in December 2021 and was later diagnosed with blood clots in her lungs. Both conditions left her breathless and housebound. By 2022, when she reached her peak weight of 37 stone, she was also told she had type 2 diabetes.

The mum was eventually referred to a weight management clinic and prescribed Ozempic, and she shed 18 stone. She said: “I was huge. I was out of breath, finding it hard to walk; I couldn’t walk around with my daughters' shopping, so I would have to stop and wait. I just felt fat and like people were talking about me.

“I didn’t go out for years. I just didn’t feel nice, I felt ugly and horrible.”

Once her blood sugar levels improved, Sarah could no longer take Ozempic. She decided to undergo gastric bypass surgery in January this year - and has since dropped a total of 25st 4lbs.Now weighing 11st 10lbs and wearing a dress size 16, Sarah says she feels fitter than ever.

Her blood clots have cleared, her diabetes is in remission, and she no longer needs blood pressure tablets. She said: “People have walked past me in the street and not realised it’s me. I just feel brilliant.

“I’m losing it from everywhere, and I’m happy with it - I’m really content with myself. I used to look at myself and hate myself. I can walk around the shopping centre with my daughter now.

“I can shop in shops that I haven’t been able to shop in for years. I feel really good about myself.”

Sarah has now dropped five dress sizes and has just three stone left until she reaches her target weight of nine stone.And while she has been left with some excess skin, she says it doesn’t bother her and feels proud of how far she has come.

She said: "I’ve faced years of struggle with my weight, trying everything and failing more times than I can count. But this journey has taught me patience and persistence. It’s not just about the numbers on the scale - it’s about my health and the life I want to live.

“I’m finally in a place where I feel in control and hopeful for the future."