A mum who was left ‘eating her feelings’ after suffering with severe health problems says she has been given a new lease of life after losing six stone. Lauren Lowe needed strong pain medication just to get her through the day as she battled with IBS and gallbladder problems.
At her heaviest the 32-year-old was almost 18 stone (17st 10lbs) which made it more of a struggle for her to be the full-time, primary carer for her now five-year-old son, who has additional needs. The mum, from Rainworth in Nottinghamshire, couldn’t even get down the stairs without ‘crying in pain’, before she began her weight loss journey with diet and meal replacement brand, exante.
After ditching her high-carb diet of pizza, pasta, potatoes and takeaways every weekend she’s now a comfortable 11st 10lbs - and no longer suffers with IBS. She has been without the need for any pain medication for more than 18 months, and can finally run around the park with her son.
Lauren, who began her exante journey by consuming two meal replacements a day, plus healthy dinners, said: “Ever since I was a kid I’ve always been overweight and known as ‘the big girl’. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome when I was 18, so I struggled to get pregnant until I lost some weight before I conceived my son.
“Five years ago I gave birth to him, he was premature by two months, and after that I started to have problems with my gallbladder and gallstones. Doctors told me having an emergency c-section kick-started all of the issues.
“I was on really strong painkillers for about two years before I had surgery to remove my gallbladder in 2019, because I was originally too heavy to have it. I had to lose about a stone before I could and I relied on the pain relief to get me through the day.
“After the surgery I suffered with severe IBS and I became so depressed that I got to my heaviest weight, which was 17st 10lbs. I started eating my feelings and just felt hopeless. I couldn’t get down the stairs without crying in pain.
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“Being overweight and having health problems made it more of a struggle to care for my son who needs constant attention, it was a hard time.”
Lauren previously took pain medication for both IBS and her gallbladder problems. Things changed when she realised she could no longer go on feeling the way she did.
A big part of her motivation to lose weight was her son, who she says needs her to be the best, healthiest version of herself. In May 2020 she started the exante weight loss plan and consumed 800 calories for the first 12 weeks, before upping her calorie intake.
Lauren had a nutritionally-complete meal replacement shake, which contains 27 vitamins and minerals, for breakfast and lunch - and a healthy meal like chicken with salad for dinner. She documented her weight loss journey on Instagram - sharing her weight loss progress with followers.
In January, exante released its new meal replacement shake recipe, with even better health benefits. The shakes are now lower in sugar, contain gut-friendly prebiotics and there are 20 flavours to choose from.
Lauren added: “I didn’t look after myself before, I never used to calorie count and I was unaware about what I was putting in my mouth. I was with an ex-partner when I started exante and things weren’t great, I had lost myself.
"I found the strength to end the relationship after starting exante so I could concentrate on myself and my son. The more weight I lost, the more confident I became.
“After the first 12 weeks I stuck to the shakes but started having around 1,200 calories a day and I allowed myself some more leeway at weekends. After nine months I was fit enough to join the gym and start walking up to 10,000 steps a day, so I upped my calorie intake again, and then by May last year (2022) I had lost six stone.
“Now I have an exante shake every day after the school run or after I work out and I’ve completed Couch to 5k too. That was a big achievement for me because before, I couldn’t run on the treadmill for more than three minutes without feeling like I was going to pass out.
“My son runs everywhere, we have a lovely woodland trail near our home and we’ll jog one end to the other and he absolutely loves it. It makes me so happy that I can finally run around with him and care for him without struggling so much.
“I try to make meal plans every week now. My favourites to cook are stir fry, chicken with rice and broccoli, and fish with vegetables. I drink more than two litres of water a day, my bottle comes everywhere with me.
“exante has given me a new lease of life, I’m the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been. I have a partner who I adore and I feel like myself again - but a new, more confident version who I love.
“I’ll never go back to how I was before, since losing the weight I haven’t suffered from IBS or taken the pain medication I relied on three times a day, for more than 18 months now.”
Lauren’s goal weight is 11 stone and when she reaches it she wants to research having a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) to remove the excess skin she’s been left with around her stomach, due to the weight loss.
exante’s new meal replacement shakes are currently available individually as sachets (£1.99), within the Starter Box (£17.59), the 2-Week Diet Plan (£43.99) which contains 42 bestselling meal replacements and is worth more than £96, or within the 4-Week Diet Plan (£76.99) which contains 84 bestselling meal replacements and is worth more than £190.
Anyone embarking on a low-calorie diet plan or who has a medical condition and is looking to change their diet, should seek medical advice from their GP or a healthcare professional first.
