Mother who weighed nearly 27 stone loses more than half her body weight following a house fire and her sister’s death

A mother who weighed nearly 27 stone (171.4kg) has lost more than half her body weight following a house fire and her sister’s death, as the events put life into perspective.

Sharon Pitkethly, 54, a full-time carer at 5ft 11in tall, reached her heaviest weight of 26st 12lb (170.5kg), wearing a size 32, in 2015 and was trapped in a “vicious cycle” of depression, anxiety and overeating.

That same year, her house went up in flames, and although she was not injured, she said the experience gave her a new outlook on life and inspired her to make lifestyle changes.

Over the following eight years, she lost seven stone 4lb (46.2kg) with WeightWatchers, but she often slipped back into old habits, such as excessively snacking, and struggled to stay consistent.

In 2023, after the loss of her sister, Sharon vowed to honour her memory by committing fully to her weight loss journey – since then, through WeightWatchers, she has shed another 6st 8lb (41.7kg), transformed her diet and goes swimming regularly.

She now weighs 13st (82.5kg), wearing a size 16, and said she feels like a “new person” with newfound confidence.

Sharon, who lives in Newcastle upon Tyne with her husband, Dean, 60, told PA Real Life: “Every time I look in the mirror I see my sister, and I have lost her, but she’s still there.

“If I’m ever tempted to go off track, I think of her and since I’ve lost weight, I look more like her too – her daughter has told me that they look like their mum.

“I’ve done it for her … and I know she’d be proud of me.”

In around 2015, Sharon reached her heaviest weight of 26st 12lb (170.5kg) and wore size 32 clothing, with a severely obese BMI of 52.4, having been around 23st (146kg) for most of her adult life.

Over the years, Sharon had joined WeightWatchers groups on and off but always ended up letting old habits creep back in.

She also “suffered from depression and social anxiety”, describing it as a “vicious circle”.

She explained: “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.”

When she was “off” her WeightWatchers eating plan, Sharon’s typical daily diet included four crumpets with butter for breakfast, crisps for a mid-morning snack, two sandwiches and crisps for lunch, and a “huge portion” of Bolognese for dinner, followed by more crisps and chocolate in the evening.

“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 added.

“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.”

Later that year, Sharon’s life was put into perspective and she decided she wanted to make “serious changes” to her lifestyle.

On September 15 2015, her home caught fire at around 10am, as confirmed by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.

She believed the fire was caused by a tumble dryer, resulting in £200,000 worth of damage.

She recalled: “I came back from the school run and smelled smoke – I had a utility room and thought something isn’t right.

“There was smoke coming out of the dryer and it caught fire, and I just had this beautiful new kitchen, and I opened the back door thinking it would get the smoke out, but it inflamed it.

“It was a ditsy moment but the whole house was damaged from the fire and smoke.”

Although she was unable to save some family keepsakes, such as photo albums, she was thankful her husband and children were safe and not in the house.

In the months following the fire, her anxiety worsened, and she felt that returning to WeightWatchers and focusing on her health would provide much-needed distraction.

Over the next eight years, Sharon went on and off plan but by the end of 2023, she had lost 7st 4lb (46.2kg), dropping four dress sizes, and weighing 19st 8lb (124.2kg) with an obese BMI of 38.2.

“I was pleased with myself that I managed to get to that and to stay there for a while,” Sharon added.

“It took a long time because I just wasn’t focused and I let myself slip.

“I knew I needed to lose more but I just fell off.”

In 2023, her sister, Kaleena, passed away at the age of 45.

Sharon was then determined to lose even more weight in her sister’s memory and joined a new WeightWatchers group.

She explained: “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 she just wasn’t getting over this and my family needed us.

“So I thought, ‘Right, just do it’.”

Since then, through WeightWatchers, she has lost an additional 6st 8lb (41.7kg), now weighing 13st (82.5kg), with an overweight BMI of 25.4.

“WeightWatchers has been amazing – I always knew it worked, I just struggled sticking to it, but that was my fault,” Sharon said.

“The support there is brilliant, everyone is in the same position as you, and I don’t think I could have done it otherwise.”

Her meals now include options such as eggs with low-fat mayonnaise, lettuce and bread thins for breakfast, a protein yoghurt with fruit for lunch and chicken with vegetables for dinner.

She no longer feels the urge to eat until she is uncomfortably full or snack mindlessly throughout the day.

She added: “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.

“I feel like a new person, I’m much more confident.”

Sharon would encourage others to try WeightWatchers, as it has completely transformed her life.

She said: “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done, I wish I stuck at it years ago and would recommend it to anyone.

“You can do it, be kind to yourself, and be consistent.”

For more information, visit: www.weightwatchers.com.