Beth is an administrative manager at Amazon who weighed almost 25 stone. She tried dieting but failed a few times. Right after Christmas, she made the life-changing decision to start her weight loss journey. And she hasn’t looked back ever since.
Beth explained she decided to change the moment she realised she had been in a secret relationship for two years. She opted to have surgery, a gastric bypass, but managed to maintain her weight after that making a few simple diet changes.
She explained: “My mum fed us really well and we always had healthy meals but it was when I was old enough to make my own decisions or go out with friends that I started eating all the wrong food.
“I was always the larger than life person – and my personality was big too.
“I was only 22 and buying clothes was so expensive, I couldn’t wear the things I wanted to wear or the things that I liked, instead I’d have to do my best to accessorise a dress and feel uncomfortable squeezing into outfits.”
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Beth continued: “It was around this time that I started realising my self-worth too. I had rubbish relationships and always felt like I was the last resort or easy option when it came to dating.
“I had been with someone for two years and no one knew we were together – I didn’t meet any of his friends or family and it suddenly clicked that I didn’t want to be a secret anymore. Life is so short and I wanted to be happy.”
She explained: “I then went to York with some friends and had nothing to wear so made a dress. I thought I looked ok but looking through the photos afterwards I realised I looked awful.
“Combined with the secret relationship I was in I knew I needed to do something to get my happiness back. But it seemed like such a big challenge – I needed to lose 10 stone before I would even feel like I was a ‘normal’ size but I struggled to even lose 10 pounds.
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“I hadn’t thought about surgery until my friend had a gastric sleeve in 2015, and that’s when it was put on my radar.”
Beth had a gastric bypass at Transform Hospital Group. She lost one stone in a month following her surgery and started going to the gym. Within a year, she was a dress size 14, a measure she never thought she would ever be.
Beth explained: “I lost friends as I no longer had my role in the group as the ‘fat friend’ but those that did remain were so supportive. People in the street would also tell me that I looked amazing and it felt incredible – I’d never had that before.
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“That first Christmas after my surgery was amazing – I hadn’t been going out for a month or two before I had the bypass but I went out with my friends wearing a size 16 blue silk blazer and felt like a supermodel. I’d lost four stone at that point and remember thinking if I didn’t lose any more weight I’d still feel amazing.”
Beth added: “For anyone thinking of having weight loss surgery it is so important to do your research as every person is different and you have to make sure you are doing it for you. It is important to be in that mindset and completely ready for a lifestyle change.
“Nothing stays the same – even the way you walk and your posture changes – but as long as you’re ready, it is the most amazing thing to do.”
The following Christmas she was in a size eight. But how has she managed to maintain it?
Beth made a few simple diet changes and has settled at a 12 stone, a weight she never thought she’d have.
Diet before:
Breakfast: Bacon sandwich
Snack: Pasty
Lunch: McDonald’s or something from the chippy
Dinner: Pub grub with wine or fruit cider
Snacks: Crisps, sweets. Fizzy drinks, milkshakes
Diet now:
Breakfast: Bowl of Rice Krispies (doesn’t drink the milk)
Lunch: Crackers, cheese, ham, olives, hummus (picky things)
Dinner: Small portion of meat and vegetables
Source: Daily Express | Diet
