A mother who was cruelly mocked in an online video for being a 'fatty bum bum' has shed 17 stone in just one year, without resorting to weight loss jabs or surgery, proving her detractors wrong. Catherine Skippen, 28, from Bottesford, Leicestershire, weighed 30 stone at her heaviest, wore a size 28, and could barely stand for two minutes without experiencing severe pain.
The carer was devastated when strangers filmed her walking through town and shared the footage on social media, set to the song 'Hey fatty bum bum' by Carl Malcolm. Instead of letting it break her, Catherine used the hurt as motivation to overhaul her lifestyle completely. She started cycling on an exercise bike at home for ten minutes at a time and swapped sausage rolls and pizza for fruit bowls and chicken skewers.
Now weighing 12 stone 10 pounds and a size 10, she says she feels like a 'completely different person' and can finally enjoy life 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.'
At her heaviest two years ago, simple tasks felt insurmountable. She recalled: '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.' Determined to change, she started with brief exercise bike sessions in July 2025.
Catherine 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.' She now walks for up to two hours daily and completes 30 minutes of weight training several times a week.
Alongside exercise, she transformed her diet after 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.'
The transformation has profoundly improved 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.' Despite some loose skin, she focuses on toning up rather than surgery, adding: 'I'm happy where I am now weight-wise and I am glad I could prove everyone wrong.'
