Obese mum loses SEVEN STONE so her son won’t be bullied over her size
Kristen Spring from Leicester now runs a Weight Watchers group to help others shift the pounds
A MUM shed seven stone after worrying her son would be BULLIED because she was so fat.
Kristen Spring, from Fosse Park, Leicester, ditched takeaways and crisps after giving birth to her only son Alfie.
The former finance worker was massive 14st 13lbs at her heaviest - pounding her BMI to an enormous 40.
Now Kristen, 36, is an impressive 8st 7lbs - nearly seven stone lighter than she was - after losing weight to stop her son from being bullied.
She said: "I couldn't continue eating as I was and living the life I was.
"I was worried he'd be bullied at school because of my size.
"I wanted to live a healthy life for my son so I knew I had to make drastic changes."
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Kristen started gaining weight at just 13 when her parents divorced and she lost contact with her mother.
From then, Kristen found comfort in food and would gorge on kebabs and crisps to make herself feel happy.
She said: "I was never a typical slim child and I was very lonely.
"My father got sole custody of us and we moved from Leicester down to London.
"Every time I was down, I would turn to food."
Kristen's weight ballooned and while she never weighed herself, she was forced to buy men's shirts for school because ladies' shirts were too tight.
She said: "My clothes were just getting bigger and I could never do up women's shirts for my school uniform so I had to buy men's.
"I would sit on the buys to school and easily eat two packets of crisps.
"If my dad made a Sunday dinner I'd eat it, but I'd have already eaten crisps and chocolates beforehand.
"I was happy when I ate the good as it comforted me, but deep down I knew I was really unhappy."
By the time she was in her early 20s, Kristen - who is only five feet tall - peaked at 14st 14lbs.
Her father moved to Spain and she decided to move back to Leicester to reach out to her mum.
It was then she met her now husband, Matthew, but it wasn't until she fell pregfant with son Alfie, now nine, that she decided things needed to change.
Kristen added: "I got pregantnt when I was 26 and I decided things needed to change if I wanted to see my son grow up.
"I'd finally found happiness again, so I wanted to make a change in myself."
Kristen ditched fatty, processed foods for homemade meals and started hitting the gym several times a week.
She became hooked on Insanity classes and has even trained as an Insanity instructor after falling in love with exercise.
The 36-year-old even left her job in finance to work for Weight Watchers, who she praises for heloing her lose nearly half her body weight.
Kristen said: "I joined the gym, got a personal trainer and started eating healthy.
"I joined Weight Watchers in 2007 and by 2009 I'd already lost five stone.
"I;ve maintained by weight of 8st 7lbs for two years now and I feel amazing.
"It's the best thing I've ever donew and it's opened so many avenues for me.
"It's really changed my life for the better."
BEFORE DIET
Breakfast - large bowl of Coco Pops
Snack - two packets of crisps
Lunch - fish and chips or kebab and chips
Dinner - Takeaway or another kebab
CURRENT DIET
Breakfast - bowl of porridge with unsweetened almond milk and banana
Lunch - homemade vegetable soup and a packet of Weight Waters crisps
Dinner - homemade cottage pie and vegetables