Mum-of-six reveals 10 STONE weight loss despite rare condition that stops her exercising
A MUM-of-six has revealed her incredible 10 STONE weight loss - despite suffering from a rare condition that stops her exercising.
Lisanne Dale, 39, who has a form of spinal stenosis, tipped the scales at 21 stone at her heaviest.
But within just eight months she managed to slim down to a healthy size 12, weighing 11 stone.
The stay-at-home mum, from Wakefield, Yorks, ditched takeaways and biscuit snacks - replacing them with homemade healthy cooking.
She says she has now learnt how to have a "good relationship" with food after beating a sugar addiction and bulimic eating disorder.
Lisanne piled on the pounds after being diagnosed with a rare type of spinal stenosis in 2011 called cauda equina syndrome, which prevents her from exercising.
And her self-esteem had plummeted to an all-time low, as she absolutely "hated" looking at her reflection in the mirror due to her obese size 28 frame.
Weight struggles
The stay-at-home mum said: “I have always been big because I have always loved food and could never say no to chocolate and biscuits.
“I would eat a pack of biscuits a day and couldn’t even complete household chores without snacking on Oreos or a family size chocolate bar.
“My weight has been up and down for years.
I have always been big because I have always loved food and could never say no to chocolate and biscuits
Lisanne
“I then slipped a disc in my back and was almost paralysed which caused me to reach my heaviest weight of 21 stone as I am unable to exercise and continued eating.
“I have always had a bad relationship with food and despite being a good cook, I would choose takeaways or cook pasta dishes loaded with an unhealthy amount of cheese."
What is spinal stenosis?
Spinal stenosis is a condition in which the spinal column narrows and starts compressing the spinal cord.
This process is typically gradual. If the narrowing is minimal, no symptoms will occur. Too much narrowing can compress the nerves and cause problems.
Stenosis can occur anywhere along the spine - but how much of the spine is affected can vary.
Symptoms typically progress over time, as nerves become more compressed, but the most common can include:
- leg or arm weakness
- lower back pain while walking or standing
- numbness in your legs or buttocks
- balance problems
Sitting in a chair usually helps relieve these symptoms, however, they'll return with periods of standing or walking.
The most common cause of spinal stenosis is aging, but it can be caused by spine defects present at birth or a naturally narrow spinal cord.
There are a number of treatments including cortisone injections to reduce swelling or anti-inflammatory drugs to help with the pain.
In severe cases, surgery may be needed to relieve the pressure permanently.
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She continued: "Food used to rule me but now I have learnt how to control my diet and always pick the healthy option.
“I cook everything at home from scratch, if I fancy a pizza, I will make one myself or if I would like a kebab, I make a healthy one.
“Whereas before I was known for buying a pizza, large kebab and chips to myself but the thought of putting all that into my body makes me feel sick.
“It is hard for me to believe I once couldn’t go a day without a pack or two of biscuits because I can’t even remember the last time, I had one.”
MORE ON WEIGHT LOSS
After losing two stone on her own, she joined Slimming World in March 2019 and now flaunts her size 12 frame with confidence.
Lisanne, who is mum to Lauren, 22, Brandon, 19, Milly, 14, Felix, 13, Riley, two, and one-year-old Noah says her weight loss makes looking after her youngest much easier.
She added: “I am now so much happier with my body and my children are super proud of me which makes it even more worth it.
“I do have a lot of excess skin which is all over my body and hope to get this removed in the future.”
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