Catherine was mocked in a cruel online video (Image: Catherine Skippen/SWNS)
A mother who was cruelly mocked in an online video for being a “fatty bum bum” has “proved everyone wrong” by shedding 17 stone in just one year — without weight loss injections or surgery. Catherine Skippen, from Bottesford, Leicestershire, tipped the scales at 30 stone at her heaviest, wore a size 28, and struggled to remain on her feet for more than two minutes without being in agony.
The 28-year-old carer was left utterly devastated after she was filmed by strangers while walking through her town, only to discover the footage had been shared across social media accompanied by the song “Hey fatty bum bum” by singer Carl Malcolm. Rather than allowing the humiliation to break her, Catherine channelled it as the driving force behind a complete overhaul of her lifestyle.
She began cycling on an exercise bike at home in ten-minute bursts and swapped sausage rolls and pizza for fruit bowls and chicken skewers. Now tipping the scales at 12st 10lbs and a size 10, she describes feeling like a “completely different person” and can at last relish every moment with her five-year-old daughter.
Catherine said: “When I saw the video, I was heartbroken and embarrassed. It really knocked me, but at the same time it made something click in my head.
“I thought I can either let this destroy me or I can prove everyone wrong – and that’s exactly what I set out to do, not just for other people, but for myself as well.
Catherine before her weight loss with her daughter and partner (Image: Catherine Skippen/SWNS)
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“I’d been big all my life and I was bullied at school for my weight, so I’d always struggled. But when I hit 30 stone, I knew something had to change.”
At her peak weight two years ago, aged 26, Catherine revealed that even the most basic everyday tasks felt completely beyond her.
She said: “I couldn’t stand at the sink to do the washing up for more than a couple of minutes without being in pain. I was constantly out of breath and wheezing, and even walking short distances hurt my ankles so much I had to keep stopping. I used to make excuses all the time and say, ‘I’ll start tomorrow,’ but tomorrow never came.”
Resolute in her desire to transform her life, she took her first steps in July 2025 by completing short sessions on an exercise bike.
Catherine, speaking to Talk to the Press, said: “At the start I couldn’t even do 10 minutes without feeling exhausted, but I just kept pushing myself a little bit more each time. I built it up to half an hour, and when I started losing weight and got down to around 25 stone, I realised I could do more. That’s when I started working out for longer, then added walking and eventually weights as well.”
She now walks for up to two hours daily and undertakes 30 minutes of weight training several times each week.
Catherine weighed 30 stone at her heaviest and struggled to stand for more than two minutes without pain (Image: Catherine Skippen/SWNS)
Catherine said: “Now I actually enjoy walking, it’s something I look forward to rather than dread. I train three times a week and it’s just part of my routine now. At the beginning my partner helped motivate me, but now it’s just my normal life.
“You have to be stubborn-minded because you do hit plateaus. I’d lose five pounds and then nothing would happen and it felt like hitting a wall.
“But I just kept going because I knew giving up would only take me backwards. People now in my village, they stop me on the street and they ask me how I did it. I am nice to them even though the video went around of me, but I do keep it short and sweet with them.”
Alongside physical activity, Catherine completely transformed her eating habits after independently researching calories and nutrition.
She said: “Before, I was eating anything and everything, mostly out of boredom. I’d have things like sausage rolls with cheese for breakfast, then snack on full bags of crisps and big chocolate bars, and have pizzas or burgers for dinner.
“I didn’t eat vegetables at all. Now I plan my meals ahead, I eat lean meats, fruit and vegetables and I stop eating when I’m full. Keeping myself busy has been a big thing because it stopped me from eating out of boredom.”
The metamorphosis has substantially enhanced her quality of life.
Catherine said: “I feel like a completely different person now. I can breathe properly, I can move around easily and I’ve got so much more energy.
“Before, I avoided things like fairs because I was scared I wouldn’t fit on the rides, or I’d be embarrassed. But now I feel like a little kid again. I went to Twin Lakes with my daughter and I was running around playing with her all day. It honestly felt like she had a big sister rather than someone who had to sit down and watch.”
Despite being left with some loose skin, Catherine said she was concentrating on toning up rather than going under the knife.
Catherine after her weight loss (Image: Catherine Skippen/SWNS)
She added: “I’ve got a bit of loose skin under my arms and on my stomach, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. There’s no funding for surgery, so I’ve bought a multi-gym and I’m working on toning up instead. I’m happy where I am now weight-wise and I am glad I could prove everyone wrong.”
Catherine’s diet before
Breakfast: Four sausage rolls with cheese
Snacks: Family-sized bags of crisps, large chocolate bars
Catherine with her daughter before her weight loss (Image: Catherine Skippen/SWNS)
Dinner: Pizza, chicken burgers, chips, curly fries
Catherine’s diet after
Breakfast: Fruit bowls (kiwi, strawberries, watermelon)
Snacks: Lettuce, cucumber, onion, garlic with eggs or cottage cheese
Dinner: Lean meats such as chicken skewers with vegetables and light mayo
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
