An inspirational Dumbarton pensioner – who piled on weight after locking herself away following a heart attack – has been described as a “superhero” after shedding eight stones.
Ann Barrowman, 72, has opened up on her journey and told how the incredible weight loss has made it much easier for her to care for her sister May.
Ann began gaining weight after losing her beloved husband Alex in 2015 and then suffering a heart attack while out shopping just 14 months later.
A member of the public saved Ann’s life after performing CPR on her and she underwent major double bypass surgery.
The experience left her terrified to leave the house in case it happened again.
She said: “I was really putting on weight after my husband died. With my heart attack and then with Covid hitting, I wasn’t getting out, and I was putting weight on and on. My family was bringing me rubbish, and it wasn’t good for me.”
Ann decided to start attending Martin Bryan’s weight loss clinic, 1:1 Diet By Cambridge Weight Plan, on Dumbarton High Street after her son James lost one stone in a month attending sessions.
Before seeing Martin, Ann was 18 stone and a size 28, eating a diet of takeaways and junk food.
Ann explained: “My son James went to Martin to lose weight himself. I said to James that I would love to try it, and he asked me to come along, but I said to him, ‘I’m not going along to a man’.
“But it has been brilliant working with Martin.
“If I hadn’t been on my own and if my husband had still been alive, I don’t think I would have been able to do it because I wasn’t buying any rubbish, there were no influences.”
In just one year, she lost an incredible 7st 9lbs and can now comfortably fit in size 10 clothing.
She added: “I am out all the time now, I walk everywhere. I am up at my sister’s every day to look after her.
“When I started I never thought I would lose eight stone.”
Martin, who describes Ann as a “superhero”, told the Lennox: “Ann had a heart attack on the street 14 months after her husband passed away.
“Once Ann got better Covid hit, so after losing weight in the hospital, she began putting weight on because she couldn’t get out, as she was scared she might have another heart attack. It was a vicious cycle.
“Ann gradually worked on that and began coming to me herself, and I couldn’t believe how much she had changed.
“She moves her sister from one seat to another, and I couldn’t believe the stuff she was doing to help her at 72 years of age.
“She pushes her wheelchair and doesn’t let me take it. People are going by beeping their horns and shouting, ‘you should be taking that wheelchair’, but she doesn’t let me. She is a wee superhero.”
Ann added: “I couldn’t help her like that before. If I didn’t have Martin, then I wouldn’t have lost any weight, and I wouldn’t be able to look after her in the same way that I do now.”
After her remarkable achievement, Ann was even nominated in the top three for the life changer award by the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan.
Martin was also previously nominated for man of the year at the awards ceremony, whilst another of his clients, Neil Maltman, won that award in 2021.
Martin added: “I don’t know what it is about this area and weight loss, there must be something in the water.”
