A mother who weighed nearly 27 stone successfully shed over half of her body weight following the death of her sister and a traumatic house fire that motivated her to make significant lifestyle changes.
Sharon Pitkethly, a 5ft 11in tall full-time carer, reached her peak weight of 26st 12lb (170.5kg) in 2015 when she was a size 32. Struggling with a cycle of depression, anxiety, and overeating, Sharon faced two pivotal events that prompted her to overhaul her habits. After her house was engulfed in flames in 2015, she emerged unharmed but with a fresh perspective on life. Over the next eight years, she gradually shed seven stone 4lb (46.2kg) with the help of WeightWatchers, although occasional lapses into old behaviors like excessive snacking impeded her progress. However, in 2023, the loss of her sister spurred Sharon to fully commit to her weight loss journey in honor of her sibling.
Since then, Sharon has further dropped 6st 8lb (41.7kg) through WeightWatchers and now engages in regular swimming sessions. Currently weighing 13st (82.5kg) and fitting into a size 16, she describes herself as a rejuvenated individual. Residing in Newcastle upon Tyne with her husband, Dean, 60, Sharon expressed, “Every time I look in the mirror I see my sister, and I have lost her, but she’s still there. […] I’ve done it for her… and I know she’d be proud of me.”
Reflecting on her weight struggles, Sharon, who once had a BMI of 52.4, recounted, “The more I got anxious, the more I got depressed, the more I ate, so then I would cry and lose weight, and then I wouldn’t feel very well, or something would happen, and then I would be straight back off the diet. I’d be on for six months, off for three, and I kept putting more and more weight on each time.”
“I felt like I let my children down – we went to Alton Towers and Chessington and things but I couldn’t go on the rides,” Sharon confessed. “I wouldn’t be in any photos, I didn’t want to go out for meals as a family, it wasn’t as enjoyable as it could have been for them.”
On September 15, 2015, Sharon’s residence was ravaged by fire, which she believes was triggered by a faulty tumble dryer, resulting in extensive damage worth £200,000.
Grateful that her family remained safe, Sharon turned back to WeightWatchers as a source of solace amidst escalating anxiety. By the conclusion of 2023, she had shed 7st 4lb (46.2kg), downsized four dress sizes, and weighed 19st 8lb (124.2kg) with an obese BMI of 38.2.
Following the passing of her sister Kaleena at 45, Sharon felt a renewed determination to succeed. “On the day she died, I promised her it’d be different this time and lose the weight. I thought I can’t let my mum lose another daughter because […] so I thought, ‘Right, just do it’.”
Praising WeightWatchers for its support, Sharon attested, “I always knew it worked, I just struggled sticking to it, but that was my fault. The support there is brilliant, everyone is in the same position as you, and I don’t think I could have done it otherwise.”
“I did go back to Alton Towers, and went on the roller coaster, and I wasn’t even bothered about the ride! I’ve started swimming and love it, and going to the gym, I never thought I’d be doing that,” Sharon shared. “I feel like a new person, I’m much more confident.”