Trim new figure: Linda now weighs 10st 5lb after having a gastric band fitted
With the scales tipping 20st, Linda Ralph was so desperate to lose weight that this time last year she decided to take drastic action.
Not only did she spend £5,500 having a gastric band fitted, she also kept a photographic diary charting her dramatic weight loss - warts and all - from a size 24 to the slimline size 10 she is today.
Linda, 50, a human resources and business manager, is married to company director Nick, 52, and has two children. She lives in North Yorkshire. Here is her diary of the year that changed her life. PICTURE ONE: Sept 2008
Wearing only my underwear, I am standing in my bedroom waiting for my husband Nick to take a photograph which, I hope, will change my life. I know I will hate what I see: I've just been on the scales and I now weigh 20st. I can feel vast rolls of flesh hanging over my bra and knickers. But after years of struggling with my weight, I've decided it's time to be brutally honest, so I have asked Nick to take this picture of me in the hope it will shock me into losing weight once and for all.
When I was younger, I was a classic yo-yo dieter: I'd put on weight then lose it again, sometimes fluctuating by as much as 5st.
But in recent years, my weight has gone in one direction only and I'm now a dress size 24.
At only 5ft 6in tall, I'm 20st, which means I'm not just curvy or cuddly any more, I'm morbidly obese.
There are so many other positives in my life: a loving husband, a rewarding job, a great social life and two wonderful children. But I've got used to hiding behind larger-than-life hair, bright colours and chunky accessories - the classic 'uniform' of the larger lady.
I have also been plagued with an array of health problems, from aching hips and knee joints to psoriasis on my hands and feet. But enough is enough. I'm 50 soon and it is time to reclaim my body and self-esteem.
After lots of research, I've decided to have a gastric band fitted, and tomorrow I am flying to Belgium for the keyhole surgery.
Deciding to have a band fitted is quite a drastic step, and expensive, too - the operation will cost me £5,500 - but I know it will be worth every penny if I can break the cycle.
When I get back, I've asked Nick to take a photo of me every six weeks to keep the momentum going.
The procedure takes less than an hour. A silicone band is placed around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch about the size of a golf ball above the band and a large pouch below it.
SEPT 2008: 20st
DEC 2008: Just over 16st
FEB 2009 15st 2lb
APRIL 2009 13st 9lb
JULY 2009 12st 3lb
SEPT 2009 10st 7lb
But the band alone is not a miracle cure. I will have to be very strict with myself afterwards. If I overeat or snack on sweet or fatty foods, I'm likely to vomit - or, worse, the band could slip, stopping it from working effectively.
PICTURE TWO: Dec 2008
It's now a couple of months since my surgery and I've lost nearly 4st. It's so amazing to see my shape changing. I've got a waist for the first time in years and a neck. And who knew I had ribs?It's difficult to get used to smaller portions, though. For six weeks, I could eat only tiny portions of soft foods such as porridge, soup, scrambled egg, fruit and yoghurt.
Now, I can eat normal food again, but still in very small amounts. I have had to teach myself to chew more and eat slowly. If I don't, then there's this really sharp pain - worse than heartburn.
Looking back, after years of dieting, I ate fairly healthy meals - fish or chicken with salad, that sort of thing - but the problem was the amount. If I had carrot sticks and hummus I would finish the whole pot, and when I had a jacket potato I would serve it with a creamy sauce.
Because I'm on the road so much with my job, I was always snacking on the wrong things, like a couple of chocolate bars if I stopped to fill up with petrol.
Most days, I was tucking into 5,000 calories and women need only 2,000 a day. Now I recognise when I am genuinely hungry.
Morbidly obese: Before Linda had surgery, she weighed 20 stone
PICTURE THREE: Feb 2009
It's four months since my surgery and I now weigh 15st 2lb. I am delighted about how things are going. On average, I am losing between 1.5lb and 3lb a week and I now wear a size 18. I am aiming for a clothes size 14-16 rather than a target weight.I do miss white bread, sticky toffee pudding and fruit cake, but it's worth it for how I look and feel. And I'm not the only one who is benefiting because I have more energy to do things with my family.
Nick has been so supportive, as have my daughter, who is 28, and my 26-year-old son. We are quite an outdoorsy family, and I am now physically able to do the things I like doing. I can even ride horses again.
People don't realise how debilitating it is to be morbidly obese. Even going out for a short walk with the dog was a struggle because everything rubbed and chaffed.
PICTURE FOUR: April 4, 2009
I have reached the six-month mark. It's April 2009 and my scales show I'm 13st 9lb - my lowest ever weight as an adult. Nick and I laugh as I pose for the photos now.My undies feel sexier now I'm a size 14 and I no longer feel so bulky. Now I can give away all those huge bras, and when I look in the mirror, I like what I see.
PICTURE FIVE: July 18, 2009
I can't believe it. I stepped on the scales today and I am down to 12st 3lb. Wow! Now that I am finally in control of my appetite, I eat like a thin person.WHO KNEW?
There were 5,020 hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of obesity in England in 2007/08. The next year there were 7,990 - a rise of 59 per cent
I've bought a pedometer and my aim is to walk 10,000 steps a day. It helps that I work on the fourth floor of an office block and always take the stairs now instead of the lift.
Nick still takes my photograph every six weeks to keep the momentum going, but I actually enjoy posing for him now.
I'm beginning to feel lighter mentally as well as physically, as my confidence grows. I didn't realise just how much my eating habits were dominating my life.
PICTURE SIX: Sept 2009
Feeling fantastic: Linda is delighted with her new figure
I've got curves, but they are all in the right places. I was under the illusion that I was quite a big-boned girl, but now I realise there was actually quite a small person underneath all that fat.
A few weeks ago, I went into Topshop and bought a pair of size 10 skinny jeans. That was a fantastic moment and I felt quite tearful.
I have swapped my big hair for a sleek style and I no longer hide behind scarves and chunky jewellery.
Nick loves my new look, and when I met my mum and stepdad for lunch a while ago, they didn't recognise me. The operation is easily the best investment I've ever made.
I've spent more than that on fad diets and extra large clothes over the years. I am no longer incontinent and my psoriasis has gone.
My joints no longer ache and I marked the first anniversary of my operation by climbing 2,373ft feet to the summit of Ingleborough in the Dales.
At the top, I found a stone shaped just like a piece of cake and pretended to bite into it as I celebrated my achievement.
PICTURE SEVEN: Oct 2009
I am now 10st 5lb and I feel fantastic. These days, breakfast is porridge and some fruit; lunch is hummus, carrot sticks and soup.My evening meal is usually chicken or meat, but I just make sure my portion isn't big.
I will also have pudding if I want to: a tiny piece of cheesecake or a small scoop of ice cream.
My calorie intake needs to stay at 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day and that is quite enough for me. I never feel hungry. I am so happy and at peace with myself.
I have bought some amazing outfits to wear. I'm 50 in April and we are going to Nice to stay in a villa.
As I don my bikini, I will be able to look back on what I have achieved since that very first photo when I stood there feeling depressed, desperate to shed the extra weight that was suffocating me.
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