A DANGEROUSLY obese woman who was told she would need life-saving surgery to lose weight has defied the odds by shedding eight stone without having to go under the knife.
Carron Edmundson was given a wake up call during a visit to her GP in 2009 where she was told she was at risk of seriously shortening her life if she continued to eat as she was.
At the time Carron was guzzling between 3,000 to 4,000 calories a day by snacking on crisps, chocolate and other fatty foods and tipped the scales at a whopping 21 stone.
Although she had lost weight over the years by trying numerous fad diets, including the cabbage soup diet, she had always put it back on.
“My weight problem was just a product of years of yo-yo dieting and over time the number had just got higher and higher.” she said.
“I was short of breath, pre-diabetic, I had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, aching joints – I was a very sick woman really.”
The Southcrest resident was told the only way she could lose weight and rescue her health would be to undergo bariatric surgery, a special weight loss procedure, but she was determined to do it on her own.
“I knew something had to change long-term but the idea of surgery scared me. I realised I’d never be able to eat like a normal person again, that my diet would be so restricted and I didn’t want that for myself.”
Carron decided to join Slimming World and in five and a half years has lost over 100lb, with four and a half stone of that coming in the first six months, and she has now dropped 12 dress sizes.
Since 2010 she has been working as a Slimming World consultant and runs groups in Batchley, Church Hill and Ipsley in a bid to support others to achieve their own weight loss goal.
“It taught me you can eat plenty of food, if you eat the right food. Anybody can do this but it does take persistence and patience, it’s not a quick fix, however it’s not all deprivation and lettuce leaves, you can still have treats.” she said.
“I feel about 20 years younger now, I have rediscovered my zest for life and I have become the best possible version of myself physically.
“This is forever now, there’s no going back.”
