A woman has shed nearly half her body weight after topping the scales at 25st left her unable to fasten her seatbelt on a plane.
Sarah Speight, 35, was a size 28 at her heaviest, avoiding exercise and living off junk food such as pizza, chocolate cake and McDonald's.
But the fraud investigator was inspired to make a change after struggling to fit into her plane seat left her so red-faced had to pretend her belt was fastened.
She tried "every diet" before opting for a gastric band to reduce the size of her stomach, spending £11,000 on the private surgery. Now a slender 13st 8lbs and a size 14 Sarah feels "amazing" and says people treat her "like a normal person" now.
Speaking about her humiliation on a trip to Iceland Sarah said: "I had to sit near the window because I was so embarrassed to ask for a seatbelt extender.
"I had to pretend that my seat belt looked like it was fastened when it wasn't.
"I had to hold it over me and pretend it was fastened when the flight attendant came past.
"It was absolutely awful because I thought - I'm the only one squished into my seat.
"I couldn't move my legs. I was spilling into the person's seat next to me and I just remember thinking this is so embarrassing I can't do this anymore."
Sarah also got another wake up call, when doctors told her aged 34 she needed pills for her blood pressure.
A month after her trip in January 2023, she underwent gastric band surgery at Alexandra Hospital, in Stockport, Manchester and has lost 11st 7lbs in a year.
Sarah, from Stalybridge, Manchesters said: "It's completely changed my life. I've now got new friends and a new love for the gym which I never thought I'd say.
"My confidence is now through the roof. Everything is just amazing. It's the best money I've ever spent."
After struggling with her weight all her life, Sarah "always knew" she was "big", but claims she started to pile on the pounds when she was in her 20s.
"Vegetables weren't really my thing, it was always always junk and I just couldn't stop. It was a massive addiction that I had" she said. "In most cases I could probably quite happily eat a full pizza in one go and still not be full.
"I was never one for the gym, the thought of exercise terrified me. I hated the thought of going out, or going shopping - I'd rather stay in on my own.
"I had to look at shops online where they cater for bigger sizes and didn't have much choice in what I wore. I had to go for whatever would fit me as opposed to what I liked. I got a feeling that people would walk past me and say 'look at the size of her.' It gets in your head.
"People would just stare at you and wouldn't say hello or anything. It was like I was in some kind of freak show. [Since losing weight] people tend to smile at you more. They say hi, I feel like you're treated like a normal person.
"I find that people interact a lot more with me. They'll talk to you and let on and smile at you, whereas before nobody batted an eyelid. The more people notice just makes you feel so good about yourself. And it's something I'm not used to because I've never had that."
BEFORE DIET
Breakfast - Bacon sandwiches, bread
Lunch - Pizza, ice cream cake
Dinner - Macdonald's, chocolate cake, crisps
Snacks - Crisps, biscuits, cheese, chocolate
Drinks - Full fat coca cola, lemonade
DIET NOW
Breakfast - Cheerios, Weetabix or porridge with blueberries
Lunch - Small tuna sandwich
Dinner - Chicken and vegetables
Snacks - Low fat yoghurt, one slice of cheese
Drinks - Protein shake, water
EXERCISE REGIME
Three hours of exercise every day
Morning - one hour of 'freestyle': stairmaster, the rowing machine, the treadmill and the cross trainer
Evening - two hours of classes