Lisa Smith, 44, from St Helens, Merseyside, says she has found herself in an impossible situation after losing more than 16-and-a-half stone through healthy eating and lifestyle changes.
The mother-of-three says she was left devastated after being told she may need to regain weight in order to qualify for surgery to remove excess skin from her stomach.
Lisa once weighed 28 stone and says her health crisis began after the birth of her son in 2008, when doctors diagnosed her with diabetes-related heart failure.
She recalls being given a serious warning about her condition and being told she needed to take immediate action to improve her health.
Health scare became turning point
Lisa says she initially sought medical help after struggling with severe breathlessness shortly after giving birth.
At first, she believed she might have asthma, but doctors later discovered the symptoms were linked to complications caused by diabetes.
She says she was admitted to hospital and later told that her condition was extremely serious.
“They thought I wouldn’t make it out of the hospital alive. I was in shock,” Lisa said. “I’d just had a baby and was facing death.”
The experience became a major turning point in her life.
Determined to improve her health and remain there for her children, Lisa committed herself to losing weight through strict healthy eating.
Lisa Smith weighed 28st at her heaviest(Image: photo-features.co.uk)
Remarkable transformation after years of effort
At her heaviest, Lisa wore a size 36 dress and says everyday life had become increasingly difficult.
Over time, she completely transformed her lifestyle and steadily lost more than 16 stone.
Her body mass index dropped dramatically from 70 to 28.
Lisa eventually reduced her clothing size from a size 36 to a size 8.
She now weighs just over 11 stone and continues taking insulin daily to manage her diabetes.
Despite the enormous achievement, Lisa says the aftermath of such extreme weight loss has created new physical and emotional struggles.
Excess skin left her feeling devastated
After losing the weight, Lisa says she was left with large amounts of loose skin hanging around her waist and stomach area.
She believed surgery would eventually be available after she reached her target weight.
Lisa says she had previously been told that if she successfully lost the weight, the NHS would fund surgery to remove the excess skin.
However, she later claims she was informed there was no longer funding available for the procedure.
That news left her feeling crushed after years of hard work and determination.
“I’m just trapped in the most ridiculous situation,” she said. “I lost more than 16-and-a-half stone myself through healthy eating but my health is worse than ever.”
Struggle with eating disorders after pressure to lose more weight
Lisa says the stress surrounding the eligibility criteria for surgery had a devastating impact on her mental health.
She claims she was encouraged to continue losing weight in order to improve her chances of receiving funding for the operation.
According to Lisa, the pressure contributed to the development of anorexia and bulimia.
“I was told to lose more weight to get funding which triggered anorexia and bulimia,” she said.
She says she became trapped in an unhealthy cycle while trying to meet requirements that seemed constantly out of reach.
Even after reaching a significantly lower weight, she says she was still informed there was no funding available.