Sisters share how they ‘took control’ of weight and health issues to lose 18 stone between them

Three sisters have collectively shed over 18 stone after embarking on an 800-calorie-a-day diet, hailing the transformation as beyond their wildest dreams.

Emma Castle, 48, reached her peak weight of 22 stone 6lb in the summer of 2023, prompting her to take action following a diagnosis of high blood pressure and pre-diabetes.

In January 2024, she adopted the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan, which provides personalised support and commences with a daily intake of 800 calories through meal replacements and a light evening meal.

This is significantly lower than the NHS recommendation of 2,000 calories for women, with a 600-calorie reduction advised for weight loss.

Emma now weighs 14 stone 6lb and wears a size 16, which has made everyday activities more manageable. She has also qualified as a consultant for the 1:1 Diet.

Tammy Fisher, 46, began the same diet at 16 stone 5lb, feeling "hopeless" after years of struggling with her weight. She has since slimmed down to 10 stone 12lb and a size 12 and is now also a consultant.

Katie Nutt, 46, who does not work because of health reasons, began the diet in February 2024 and has gone from 17 stone 4lb (110.3 kg) and a size 22 to 12 stone 1lb (76.7 kg) and a size 14 – she has hypertension on the brain and since losing weight her condition has stabilised.

Tammy, who, like her sisters, lives in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, told PA Real Life: “It makes you feel in control of what you’re eating. I feel like it just works for us even though some people might think it’s not enough calories to start with.

“I thought surgery was my only option but how wrong I was – I don’t need any injection or surgery – I did it myself and it’s just unreal.”

Emma reached her heaviest weight of 22 stone 6lb in the summer of 2023, after years of overeating and having large bars of chocolate most evenings.

But after a visit to her GP revealed she had high blood pressure and was pre-diabetic she slowly began to realise she may need to make some changes.

In January 2024 she began following the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan which is a tailored weight-loss plan that provides one-to-one consultant support for every dieter and became a consultant for the diet too.

She said: “I realised that actually I’m not going to be able to get through life unscathed if I continue as I am.”

The diet consists of several steps. Step one involves replacing your everyday food for nutritionally complete meal replacement products.

Emma started at step two which includes three 1:1 products daily – such as snack bars or porridge – along with a 200-calorie evening meal made from ingredients such as chicken and vegetables, with no carbohydrates.

By May 2024, Emma had lost four stone (25.4 kg), and a check-up confirmed her blood pressure and blood sugar levels were within the normal range.

She said: “It made it all worth it, I felt so much better in myself.

“It’s really quite life changing, losing that amount of weight, and it’s just everyday things that you notice are easier, like walking, housework, sitting on a bus and not taking up nearly two seats.”

Tammy also began the 1:1 Diet in January 2024, becoming a consultant too, following the same 800-calorie plan.

At the time, she weighed 16 stone 5lb (104.1 kg) – the “biggest” she had “ever been” – and was “desperate” to make a change.

She had been considering gastric surgery, even contacting private hospitals and arranging payment plans, but was inspired by Emma to try the diet instead, avoiding a procedure that could have cost around £10,000.

She explained: “I got to the point where I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror at all. I didn’t like my clothes … friends would invite me out and I wouldn’t go, and I used to cry a lot and think it was all hopeless.”

However, after just a few days on the plan, and despite feeling light-headed during the initial “detox”, she suddenly got a “spring in her step”.

Katie began the diet in February 2024, starting at 17 stone 4lb (110.3 kg).

Katie, who was on the waiting list for gastric sleeve surgery because of hypertension on the brain, was advised to lose weight to relieve her symptoms such as headaches and neck and back pain.

Since following the diet – also consuming 800 calories a day – she has halved her pain medication.

There had also been a risk of her going blind, as the condition was causing pressure on her optic nerves, but her eyesight is now stable.

Katie said: “I think my family have noticed a huge difference – I used to look so poorly all the time and my kids used to just think, ‘God, mum’s in bed again’. Now they see me up sprightly.”

Together, the sisters have lost more than 18 stone (114.3 kg), with Emma shedding eight stone (50.8 kg), Tammy five stone 7lb (35.4 kg), and Katie five stone 3lb (33.5 kg).

All three sisters, who are 5ft 2in, started in the obese category – Emma had a BMI of 57, Tammy had a BMI of 42, and Katie had a BMI of 44.

After losing weight, Emma’s BMI is the lowest level of obese at 36, Tammy moved into the overweight category at 28, and Katie reached the borderline between overweight and obese at 30.

Emma said: “I don’t actually think my brain is caught up in my body … I keep buying bigger sizes thinking they’re the right size.”

When the sisters are closer to their goal weights, they will eventually move on to the final steps, with their calories increasing each time.

The final step involves eating one 1:1 product a day and eating a healthy diet of around 1,500 calories each day, while keeping active and working towards maintaining weight.

The sisters believe their weight-loss journey has brought them closer, supporting each other along the way.

“Every celebration used to revolve around food,” said Emma.

“But now we spend that money on experiences, like holidays together and we’ve found new ways to reward ourselves. It’s a whole new mindset.”

Since losing the weight, their lives have changed beyond their “wildest imaginations” – Tammy and Katie are no longer considering surgery and they all feel healthier, with more energy, and have more confidence than ever.

Looking ahead, the sisters believe the diet will be “part of (their) lives for the rest of (their) lives”, and Emma and Tammy are excited to continue their journeys by helping others as consultants.

For more information about the 1:1 Diet visit: www.one2onediet.com.

If you are living with obesity, your GP can offer you advice about improving your lifestyle and losing and managing your weight safely. For more information, visit: www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/treatment.

If you were affected by this content or are struggling with an eating disorder, support is available at www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk.