'The terrifying brush with death that made me go from a size 30 to a size 16'

Natalie Lea describes the moment her heart almost stopped beating as one of the scariest experiences of her life.

But what the mum-of-two didn’t know was that the brush with death would lead to a life-changing transformation – seeing her drop seven dress sizes from a size 30 to a size 16.

Natalie had not long returned home from Stockport Market when she suddenly became unwell in November 2021. She was lying on her sofa when she momentarily fell unconscious, prompting her to shout for help.

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But when she went to scream, nothing came out. After a few terrifying minutes of being completely paralysed, the 42-year-old managed to call her sister who took her to hospital.

Natalie, from Offerton, believed she had suffered a stroke. But she’d actually been shocked by her implantable cardioverter-defibrillator – a small battery-powered device she had implanted in her chest after being diagnosed with severe heart failure. The machine is used to restore irregular heart rhythms.

The health scare gave Natalie the push she needed to turn her life around for good. The mum had struggled with her weight following the death of her father in October 2021, ballooning to a size 30.

Just a few months after her terrifying incident, Natalie decided to embark on a weight loss journey in January 2022. Though she was losing weight at home, she decided to sign up to her local Slimming World group for extra help and support.

Attending group meetings every week and following a diet plan, Natalie quickly began to shed the pounds – going on to lose an incredible seven-and-a-half stone. Currently, she estimates she is a size 16.

Recalling her health