Greggs sausage roll lover Carla gave up savoury treats to shed six stone

A mum was finally able to get a proper hug from her six-year-old daughter for the first time - after she shed six stone.

Carla Ford, 33, ballooned to 16st after gorging on a diet of Greggs sausage rolls, biscuits and vanilla lattes for nearly a decade, but when she went for a routine check-up at her GP surgery last March, the mum-of-three was told she was on course to develop Type 2 diabetes.

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Devastated by the projected diagnosis, the trainee midwife was subscribed anti-depressants to help her cope with news of the health scare.

Carla Ford before and after after her weight loss

But it wasn't until four months later Carla decided to shift the pounds with a low carb diet which sees dieters cut out the likes of bread, fruit and sugar.

She dropped four dress in six months, has reversed her path to diabetes and her polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms have reduced.

Now 10st, Carla says her remarkable weight loss journey finally hit home when her daughter Florence hugged her one evening and said her "arms could reach one another".

Size eight Carla, from Edinburgh, said: "I just feel so much better for it all.

Carla getting a hug from her daughter Florence

"I've tried so many diets over the years and seen my weight yo-yo but nothing has actually stuck.

"This has and I've never felt better mentally or physically.

"When my little girl was able to wrap her arms around me it really brought it all home.

"She said 'mummy my arms can touch one another now'."It's things like that which I never would have realised before but are obviously impacting her."

Little Florence can now embrace her mum

Carla said she got into a habit of binge eating after becoming a mum, while juggling a part-time job and returning to college to get the grades she needed to become a midwife.

But she said her weight "eventually hit home" when her doctor told her she was on course to develop type 2 diabetes.

Now at her ideal weight of ten stone, Carla says her weight loss has enabled her to fulfill her dream as a midwife, which she is currently training for at Edinburgh Napier University.

She now tracks her fitness and food regime with her Instagram account @mrsfgoesketo to help inspire others with their weight loss journey.

Carla Ford before and after her six stone weight loss

Carla added: "I was always brushing my weight under the carpet.

"Truth be told I was so unhappy with how I looked. I would be in tears with how I let myself get.

"So much so that I used to wash my hair twice a day to make sure it looked nice because that was the only thing I could instantly fix.

"Now I feel so good I'll be lucky to wash my hair twice a week!

"I was just binge eating due to the stresses of everyday life.

"I had no time for me but when it was midway through the lockdown I thought, what with the health scare, if I don't do something now it'll never change.

A dramatic difference after Carla shed six stone

"I was walking a lot more, then I signed up for the gym and in November after loosing five stone I started with my personal trainer.

"I completely overhauled my diet and the first four or five days were really tough as it's a shock to your body.

"But after a few months I noticed I was losing all the symptoms of my PCOS. The horrendous skin cleared up along with the excess facial hair and the feeling of being constantly hungry had also reduced.

"I also didn't want to be doing a job where my weight would bring me down.

"I didn't want to be unfit while doing a 12 hour shift.

"I worked hard for four years as a mature student to get the grades I needed to get my place in university while juggling three children.

"There has been a lot of attention on keto recently on social media, saying that's it's unhealthy and unsustainable but for me it's genuinely saved my life.

"I won't ever go back to eating the way I did before now that I know what works for my body and the vast benefits I've had from reducing my carb intake.

"I'm receiving regular blood tests from my doctor to ensure my body is working as it should with my new lifestyle and I truly believe that nutrition can help with so many issues that normally just have medication thrown at them.

"I just feel now with another lockdown popping up I can hope to inspire others and hopefully help motivate someone else who might be feeling how I was out of their depth and helpless."

DIET BEFORE

Breakfast - 2 slices of white toast. Bar of chocolate. Vanilla latte.

Lunch - Greggs Sausage roll and a cake.Dinner - Chicken pesto pasta, garlic pizza bread and salad..... followed by normally a takeaway a few hours later!Snacks - Crisps and biscuits all day throughout the day alongside half a dozen vanilla lattes.

DIET AFTER

Breakfast - scrambled egg, crispy bacon and avocado. Black coffee with skinny mixes zero carb syrup and MCT oil.Lunch - tuna salad with olives/ cooked chicken and cheese.Dinner - Cottage pie with swede mash and lots of buttered green veg. Deliciously guilt free salted caramel blondie with whipped cream. (1.1g of carbs per blondie) Snacks - pork scratchings with alioli and cashew nuts.

To follow Carla's weight loss journey on Instagram follow https://www.instagram.com/mrsfgoesketo/?hl=en

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