"My kids checked on me every night so I didn't die" - Bedford mum sheds incredible 14st

Charlene Warren, 37, would eat eight bags of crisps and six cake bars a day instead of having meals and at her heaviest weighed 26st 5lbs and felt “horrific”.

But it wasn’t until her daughter, 13-year-old India's classmate sent her a letter saying Charlene was “going to die soon” that it really hit home.

She immediately started researching weight loss surgery at home and abroad.

After being placed on a three-year waiting list on the NHS, she says, she paid £5,537 for a gastric bypass in Riga, Latvia.

In three years, Charlene went from 26st 5lbs to 12st - losing 14st 5lbs - and dropped nine clothing sizes from a 28 to a size 10.

Following the extreme weight loss, Charlene spent £4,600 on a tummy tuck in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 1, 2024, and had 9lb of skin removed.

Mum-of-three Charlene, who is currently unemployed, from Bedford, said: “I put on so much weight, my kids would get up in the night to check I was still breathing. I thought: 'Christ, I don’t know what my children would do if anything happened to me.'

“Even the thought of leaving them behind with no photos - because I always shied away from the camera - was heartbreaking. That was the tipping point for me - where I thought: 'Right. I’ve got to go and have surgery done.'

“My life has been totally changed - I’ve gone from the big, bold, bubbly woman in baggy clothes to someone who isn’t afraid to show her body off.”

Charlene’s says she comes from a self-confessed “large” family who “loved big portions every mealtime” and her weight fluctuated throughout her life.

She would eat adult portions of roast dinners, curries and spaghetti bolognese from the age of seven and when bullies targeted her weight, she'd turn to comfort eating.

Charlene claims people used to "stare" at her due to her weight while she was out shopping or at the pub. She says strangers even took photos of her by the pool while on holiday in Cyprus with her family.

After having her three children - Brooklyn, 15, India, 13 and Gianni, 11 - Charlene became worried her kids would be too embarrassed to have friends over due to her weight.

She said: “I had children of my own - and it dawned on me that my son wouldn’t invite his friends over. He wasn’t actively being bullied, but I was so scared he’d feel like he needed to stand up for me if kids ever did make comments.”

When India was in year four, her classmate passed her a note which said, “your mum’s so fat she’s going to die of a heart attack”.

She suffered constant bullying from the age of eight due to Charlene’s weight - and the letter filled her with anxiety.

Every night from then on, India would get up in the middle of the night to check her mum was still breathing.

“My daughter doesn’t really like to talk about it,” Charlene said. “But it made me feel absolutely horrific.

“I tried confiding in other parents about it - but a lot of them just said 'well it is a fact - you’re fat.'”

By the evening, Charlene had started looking at gastric bypass surgery in the UK, Turkey and Latvia.

“Something came up about weight loss surgery in Riga,” she said. “I spoke to Tanya, the co-ordinator, and she was absolutely brilliant. Within half an hour I rang up and booked.”

Charlene spent £5,537 in total on the trip - £37 for a return flight from London to Riga, and £5,500 on accommodation and surgery, on September 19, 2021.

She was put on a strict diet plan of water, protein shakes and probiotic drinks for four weeks after.

In a year she lost 70 per cent of her body weight - but finds she still struggles with her cravings.

“They take away your stomach, not your brain,” she said.

“I can eat a bit more now - but I still find myself piling my plate high at the carvery. I’m just not able to eat it and sometimes it’ll make me feel sick.

“I still enjoy my crisps and cake bars - I’m down to just one a day.”

Charlene said her life has been transformed by the gastric bypass and she feels a lot more confident now she’s able to show her body off.

She said: “Before, my wardrobe was just black, baggy jumpers. But now my children don’t allow me to wear black anymore.

“I want to show it all off - dresses are my favourite.

"I know people warn about overseas surgeries but both of my surgery experiences, and the aftercare, have been amazing.

“I go to the gym every day - for around two hours. So not only have I lost the weight, but I’ve managed to build muscle, as well.

"My kids aren't worried anymore - they're just proud of me."

Charlene's diet before -

No meals

Eight bags of crisps a day

Six cake bars

Charlene's diet during gastric bypass recovery -

One small plate of scrambled egg per day

50ml of protein shake

Small sips of water and probiotic yoghurt

Charlene's diet now -

Breakfast: Scrambled egg, a slice of salmon and a slice of brown toast

Lunch: A plain jacket potato with butter

Dinner: A small portion of what the kids are eating - usually curries, fish with new potatoes, and roasts