Lynsey Macfadyen, 32, has dropped from a size 24 to a 12.
A Scots mum who dropped from a size 24 to a 12 has shared her incredible weight loss journey. Lynsey Macfadyen, 32, was ‘crying for hours’ after a weigh in as she ‘hadn’t realised she had gotten that big’.
Lynsey lives with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) as well as hypermobility disorder. Her conditions make it difficult to exercise and get around and Lynsey, from Craigmillar, even spent multiple months in a mobility scooter.
She also suffers from seizures, and went through periods when she had the flu of ‘passing out due to her size’. Despite this, she’s still managed to go from 21 stone to 13 stone.
Lynsey, a mother-of-two, is looking to hit her goal weight by April next year, and wants other people with disabilities to know that it is still possible to lose weight – even with ‘difficulties’. She’s found support from online communities, has learned what her body needs through diet and nutrition, and started Mounjaro last year.
Lynsey documents her journey, and shares hints and tips, on her TikTok account @darklydosed. Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Lynsey said: “I started my journey as I’d realised I was over 21 stone after a year of on and off Slimming World.
“Anything I lost I gained it back times two. I’d spoken to my doctors and was referred to star the process of getting Bariatric surgery. I saw some videos on TikTok of people using Mounjaro and having success, so I started it.”
Lynsey had an injury due to subluxation in her hip, and was unable to walk or stand for longer than a few minutes. She was using a mobility scooter from December last year until April.
During her first week on Mounjaro, Lynsey weighed in at 21 stone and 4.7lbs. She admits ‘crying for hours’. Lynsey added: “I hadn’t even realised I’d gotten that big. I’d noticed by size was having an impact on my FND and how quickly I recovered from seizures.
“There was a period of time when I had a flu, and because of my size I was passing out. Even in A&E there was no help to stop it.”
Lynsey feels the key to her weight loss journey has been online community groups and support. She told us: “I have coaching calls and a community group with others on the same journey.
“I feel the mental part of it is the hardest, the people in the groups have probably helped me past the hardest moments – including when I’ve been close to giving up. My FND makes it harder to exercise, and I felt like I was failing.
“If it wasn’t for the support of groups I’d probably have given up in summer. We even did a Secret Santa, and it was so sweet how well we all knew each other.”
Lynseys FND, hypermobility disorder and her mental health have impacted her weight loss journey ‘daily’. She’s often unable to cook without supervision, and some days not at all. She told us: “Some days I’m bed bound.
“I can’t just go to the gym and do an hour to smash out some calories. I tried that before and it makes my disabilities worse, and then I’d gain weight from comfort eating due to the pain.
“I’ve learned quickly that due to having disabilities, and not being able to just make healthy meals daily or exercise, to create a deficit that tracking is vital but ensuring I have enough protein, fibre and vitamins even when ordering in has been a huge learning curve.”
While Lynsey has seen her weight drop, she feels her life is ‘pretty similar’ as she continues to struggle with her disabilities. She said: “Things haven’t changed like I hoped they would.
“I don’t take as long to recover from seizures now. I’ve learned what my body needs through a diet and nutrition course. I make better choices with food, and know which foods to focus on.
“If I was to say anything has changed, I’d say it would be my approach to what it is living with disabilities. Before my mindset was more it is what it is whereas now I’m actively trying to treat issues with nutrition.”
