A woman whose weight spiraled due to comfort eating has racked up thousands of social media followers after shedding half her body weight – and celebrating the loose skin she’s been left with.
Hannah Castledine, 32, who lives in Leicester, allowed Truly to document how her life has changed since shedding 12st 4lbs.
The mother explained that she had always struggled with her weight and tipped scales at 25st 12lbs at her heaviest, after getting into the habit of ‘eating for two’ when she was pregnant with her daughter Isabelle.
She said joining Slimming World helped her to make the changes she needed, however she has been left with excess skin, which she’s learned to proudly embrace because it’s proof of her weight loss success.
Hannah Castledine, 32, (pictured) who lives in Leicester, weighed 25st 12lbs at her heaviest, as her weight spiraled when she was pregnant
Hannah explained that she had always struggled with her weight and food became the only thing that made her happy. Pictured left: before, right: now
Hannah admits that at her heaviest, she would have accidents when she couldn’t make it to the bathroom on time.
Hannah said: ‘I’ve always struggled with my weight but I just kept getting bigger and bigger. Then when I fell pregnant with my daughter it just became a thing of ‘I’m eating for two’.
‘Before I knew it, I was nearly 26 stone.
‘The only thing that was keeping me happy was to eat food and I’d go and buy big birthday cakes. I’d sit and eat a birthday cake for breakfast.
‘A whole birthday cake that would serve like 12 people.
‘I didn’t get the love I needed from a partner, so food was my partner.
‘I was really in denial about my weight gain. I just thought I was a curvy girl but I wasn’t, I was super morbidly obese.’
Hannah who would eat an entire birthday cake for breakfast, admits she was in denial about her weight and thought she was just a ‘curvy girl’. Pictured: At her heaviest
Hannah (pictured) said photos taken at her 30th birthday party gave her the motivation to change her life
Hannah explained that her doctors were anticipating that she could have a heart attack because of her weight.
However, it wasn’t until she saw snaps taken on her 30th birthday that she gained the motivation to overhaul her lifestyle.
‘The first thing I did is join Slimming World, the first week I started losing weight and I was just on a roll,’ she said.
‘I started walking everywhere, so I did 10 minutes to start with then it got to 20 minutes then 30 minutes. I’m walking for hours now.’
Having shed 12st 4lbs, Hannah said she now has excess skin all over her body but especially on her stomach.
Hannah said she lost weight within her first week of joining Slimming World and exercised by walking. Pictured: Hannah at her heaviest
Hannah (pictured) who now boasts almost 29,000 Instagram followers, said she loves her excess skin because it’s part of her journey
Hannah explained: ‘There was a time when I absolutely hated it, but then I learned to love myself.
‘So this bit of skin is a part of my journey. I love it because it’s a part of me. I’m getting it out on Instagram, Facebook, everywhere.
‘I’m not ashamed to get out what I’ve worked so hard for and other people shouldn’t feel the same either.’
Hannah said her daughter Isabelle, continuously tells her that she’s proud of her weight loss.
She has also racked up almost 29,000 Instagram followers as many have been inspired by her transformation.
‘Do not worry about what other people think of you, think about yourself because you’re the only one that can love yourself.
‘Do it for you, you’re the only person that can change your life,’ Hannah said.
