I wanted to CUT OFF my own skin so spent £20k on a mummy-makeover – people are stunned I’m the same woman

When a mum-of-one embarked on her weight loss journey, she had no idea she would be left feeling trapped in her own body – so much so she daydreamed about cutting off her loose skin.

Weighing over 16 stone at her heaviest, Sarah Donald, 32, from Cambridge, says she was constantly bullied and name called for her weight, even by strangers, while she was trapped in a cycle of overeating to combat her feelings of shame. 

Sarah DonaldSarah Donald, 32, from Cambridge, weighed over 16 stone at her heaviest. Pictured, with her daughter, Bella[/caption]

Sarah DonaldFollowing a strict eating plan and getting active, Sarah dropped 6st and eight dress sizes, going from a size 24 to a svelte size 8 in just 10 months[/caption]

Calling junk food her ‘escape and her enemy,’ the senior support worker says she felt hopeless.

But as her young daughter, Bella aged 12, went from a baby to a toddler she feared her body could not meet the physical demands of parenthood. 

Wanting to be the best mum possible, Sarah decided to take action and embarked on a diet and exercise overhaul.

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Following a strict eating plan and getting active, she completely transformed her lifestyle and relationship with food, dropping 6st and eight dress sizes, going from a size 24 to a svelte size 8 in just 10 months.

Unfortunately, her initial quick success came at a price and left her feeling worse than ever.

Sarah felt trapped after her weight loss left her with over 4Ibs of excess skin and shrinking breasts.

“Initially when I lost the weight I felt really proud of myself. Watching the number on the scales drop gave me a buzz – I felt great,” Sarah explained.

“But after I lost over 6st, I somehow felt worse about my body than before. I felt trapped and didn’t want to leave the house. It was such a cruel twist for me.” 

While she could fit in smaller clothes and outwardly appeared to have won the battle of the bulge, Sarah was struggling mentally with her smaller frame. 

“I covered up all the time with baggy clothes to conceal my skin,” she said. “I wore shorts over my bikinis on holiday and wore two bras every day as my boobs had gone from a 36DD to a 32A.

“I no longer felt like a woman and couldn’t have felt less sexy for my partner. I was trapped.”

Tired of feeling trapped in her own skin, Sarah decided to seek professional help and booked a consultation with Mr. Hagen Schumacher, a consultant plastic surgeon at Adore.Life in Cambridge to explore her options.

The first step in Sarah’s journey was a breast augmentation in March 2018, to give her fuller and perter breasts.

“I just wanted something that looked natural but helped me feel more feminine again,” said Sarah. “The breast augmentation helped give me back some confidence.”

In November 2020, Sarah underwent her second procedure: a full tummy tuck to remove roughly 730g of excess skin from her abdomen. 

“I saw a huge difference in how I felt after my tummy tuck,” explained the mum-of-one. “Hagen did an incredible job.

“I always felt so ashamed of my baggy skin but I started to feel more confident in clothes and found myself experimenting with more styles that I had never been able to wear both pre-weight loss and post thanks to the abdominoplasty.”

In May 2021, Sarah went back for a thigh lift to remove excess skin from her thighs.

“The results were better than I ever could have imagined,” Sarah explained. “I felt confident, full of life, and empowered for the first time since I lost my weight.

“It may sound extreme to some but it’s honestly changed my life.”

Finally, on 6th January 2022, Sarah underwent the final stage of her journey as she had a ‘belt lipectomy’ – also known as a 360 Circumferential lower body lift – to remove the remaining loose skin and stubborn fat deposits around the hip and waist area.

Overall, Sarah has spent over £20,000 on surgical procedures to rectify her body after weight loss. 

“I know it’s a lot of money, but my journey has made me realise that you can’t put a price on happiness,” she said.

“A few weeks ago, my mother asked how I was feeling, and I simply replied ‘free.’ My mum told me she felt like she had her daughter back.”

“I began to realise just how much the journey and my mental health had affected not just me, but those around me.

“I do feel free now, and I’ve been very open about my journey from the outset in hope that my experiences will help somebody in a similar situation.

“It’s been a long and emotional road but so worth it.”

Sarah’s life post weight loss looks very different.

She works out almost every day and looks after her body from the inside out, by drinking water, eating nutritious home-cooked meals, and only allowing herself one caffeinated drink per day. 

She also started an Instagram account called justabitslimmer to document her journey and inspire others who may be struggling. 

“I started this journey to be a better mother to my daughter – now she’s a teenager, I hope she can take something away from it,” she explained.

“I just want her to feel free to talk about anything, and to do whatever she needs to do to be confident and strong.” 

Sarah DonaldSarah said she always felt “so ashamed” of her baggy skin but started to feel more confident in clothes after the surgery. Pictured, left before and right, after[/caption]

Sarah DonaldAs Sarah’s young daughter, Bella aged 12, went from a baby to a toddler she feared her body could not meet the physical demands of parenthood. Pictured, together now after Sarah’s transformation[/caption]

Sarah DonaldSarah is now a svelte size 8 and looks like a completely different woman[/caption]

Sarah DonaldThe mum-of-one has got her confidence back and loves experimenting with different outfits[/caption]

In other weight loss news, this woman became Britain’s sexiest postie after dropping 13st & a 6-figure salary to walk miles on round after getting so fat her legs bled.

Plus, this woman lost half her body weight and claimed she’s so pretty she doesn’t have to pay for anything.

And find out how this person lost six stone calorie counting – but still eats bacon and kebabs.