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A mother who has been dieting since childhood says she has finally achieved her dream body - thanks to a heart attack.Mother-of-two Lesley Pritchard, 43, claims her heart attack was the 'heaven-sent excuse' she needed to finally shift the pounds.
As a type 1 diabetic, Mrs Pritchard relies on daily insulin injections which she says have caused her to crave piles of greasy pastries and crisps.
Lesley Pritchard, 43, had a heart attack when she was 37 and weighed 17st. She says the illness made her realise her weight was putting her health at risk so she requested gastric bypass surgery. She is pictured (left) in August 2012, a month before surgery, and (right) now that she has lost six stone
Despite repeated attempts at dieting, she ballooned from 12st to 17st in just five years.
However, reality hit home when she had a heart attack aged just 37.
In September 2012, Mrs Pritchard had a gastric bypass on the NHS. Now six stone lighter, she credits the heart attack for her size 12 figure.
She said: ‘Lying in bed one night, I suddenly felt really strange. I went from boiling hot to freezing cold and very clammy.
‘When I tried to move I was stopped by a deadening pain in my chest, and my arms felt like lead.
Before her surgery (pictured) Mrs Pritchard was a size 24. Now, a year after the surgery, she is a size 12 and she says she is looking forward to a long and healthy life with her husband, Ian
Mrs Pritchard (pictured, left, with a friend just before her weight loss surgery) believes her type 1 diabetes was responsible for her weight gain as she claims the insulin injections caused her to crave fatty foods
‘My husband, Ian, dialled 999 and within minutes I was being rushed to hospital in an ambulance.’
Mrs Pritchard says doctors told her that her heart attack was a result of her diabetes, but she was convinced her obesity was a contributing factor.
She said: ‘My diabetes caused my heart attack, but the rapid weight gain had definitely put me at greater risk.
‘I knew then that I needed to make a change, whatever it took.
Mrs Pritchard (pictured with her husband, Ian) said: 'My diabetes caused my heart attack, but the rapid weight gain had definitely put me at greater risk. I knew then that I needed to make a change, whatever it took'
Mrs Pritchard is now a size 12 (pictured) and says that she loves her new body
‘I hated bulging out of my size 24 clothes, but I never thought it would put my life in danger.’
Mrs Pritchard confronted her doctors and demanded she be put forward for a gastric bypass.
The mother, from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, was eventually given the surgery in September 2012 and now, a year on, she loves her new body.
‘I’ve already lost six stone and the weight is still dropping off,’ she said.
Mrs Pritchard (pictured with her husband and daughters, Pollie, 14, and Felicity, 10) said: 'I hated bulging out of my size 24 clothes, but I never thought it would put my life in danger'
‘Every day I’m so thankful I got the kick I needed to make a change.
‘It might not exactly be a recommended diet plan, but my heart attack led me on the path to achieving my weight loss.’
Mrs Pritchard, a civil servant, has relied on daily insulin doses to control her diabetes since the age of 33.
She was forced to switch from tablets to injections when she became pregnant with her daughter Felicity, now aged 10.
Mrs Pritchard (pictured before her surgery) says she always struggled with her weight and that she exercised regularly but all of her efforts failed to shift her excess pounds
She said: ‘Soon I was injecting five or six times a day, just to stay alive.
‘I hated the side effects - the more insulin I took, the hungrier I was.
‘I’d scoff bread, pastries and crisps, binging on piles of calorific treats between meals.’
Mrs Pritchard tried exercising, swimming and going to the gym several times a week, but the fat would not disappear.
Mrs Pritchard (pictured with her husband, Ian, and daughters, Pollie and Felicity, in 2011) said: 'My heart attack was sent from heaven - it forced me to focus on my health. I now have an amazing body, and I have my heart attack to thank'
‘I hated my bulge, but I’d put back on every pound I battled to lose. I really like designer clothes and I was desperate to fit into them.
‘I’ve always struggled a bit with my weight. I’ve been on diet after diet from the age of eight.’
Mrs Pritchard said she is now free to enjoy a healthy life with her husband.
She said: ‘My heart attack was sent from heaven - it forced me to focus on my health.
‘I now have an amazing body, and I have my heart attack to thank.’
WHAT IS A GASTRIC BYPASS AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
A gastric bypass is a last resort for people carrying a dangerous amount of weight.
It is available on the NHS for people who have a BMI of more than 40, or for those with a BMI of more than 35 who also have a serious weight-related health condition.
During the operation the digestive system is re-routed past most of the patient's stomach so that they digest less food and feel full quicker.
The patient is left with just a small pouch in place of their stomach.
After the surgery, people tend to lose weight very quickly - most people who have had this procedure lose two thirds of their excess body weight.
Patients have to stick to a strict diet and exercise plan after the operation.
Many people find that they are left with lose folds of skin after they lose weight - this can require further surgery to correct.
Gastric bypass surgery comes with many potentially fatal risks, including internal bleeding and blood clots.
One in 100 gastric bypass surgery patients die shortly after surgery.
The surgery cannot be reversed.
It is available on the NHS for people who have a BMI of more than 40, or for those with a BMI of more than 35 who also have a serious weight-related health condition.
During the operation the digestive system is re-routed past most of the patient's stomach so that they digest less food and feel full quicker.
The patient is left with just a small pouch in place of their stomach.
After the surgery, people tend to lose weight very quickly - most people who have had this procedure lose two thirds of their excess body weight.
Patients have to stick to a strict diet and exercise plan after the operation.
Many people find that they are left with lose folds of skin after they lose weight - this can require further surgery to correct.
Gastric bypass surgery comes with many potentially fatal risks, including internal bleeding and blood clots.
One in 100 gastric bypass surgery patients die shortly after surgery.
The surgery cannot be reversed.
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