Woman celebrates weight loss - by walking in garden for the first time years

A woman left with mobility issues because of her size has celebrated her incredible weight loss journey - by stepping into her garden for the first time in three years.

Lisa Fox, 37, lost seven stone in the past 38 weeks since she started her "lifestyle change".

During 2016, Lisa was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis which severely limited her mobility and led to unemployment due to disability.

This triggered the start of Lisa's gradual weight gain where she went from 15 stone to 33 stone 8lbs in the seven years that followed.

Through a mixture of following seated Zumba workouts and cleaner eating, the South East London resident was able to work off the weight over an 8-month period.

She then reached the point where she could walk out to her garden again.

At her most recent weigh in, on May 16, 2024, Lisa discovered she was down to 26 stone 8lbs, dropping from a size 32/34 to a size 28/30.

She said: "It was literally the difference of a day - decided on the Thursday and then was doing it on the Friday.

"I was a binge-eater and an emotional-eater. Just eight months ago I wasn't even coming out of my bedroom."

Lisa says her two sons were one of the main reasons for her making the change.

Kyle, 17, and Tyler, 18, both have additional needs and are attending an additional needs college, which was difficult for Lisa to even travel to before her weight loss.

She said: "I just thought of my sons and how much I wanted to be there for them.

"It is painful to try and push myself, like with stepping down into the garden, but I find the pain drives me to try harder.

"I have spent my whole life yo-yo dieting and I actually hate using the word 'diet' now, it feels very toxic.

"When I hear 'diet', it makes me feel restricted, but what I do now doesn't restrict me as much. I have a weekly takeaway as a treat on Thursdays, and I've still lost seven stone!"

Lisa has also noticed improvements in her mental health during this time, saying, "Everyday little things have changed and I now look at life in a different way.

"People say to me that I make it look so easy, but it isn't easy. It's a long term challenge and you have to be very strong mentally.

"But I am so much happier now and so grateful for all the support I get from my friends, family and people online."