A woman who was so miserable with her weight that she separated from her husband has rekindled their marriage after weight loss surgery in Turkey.
Gemma Welsh, from Liverpool, was so miserable with her weight she couldn't bear for her husband Paul to even look at her. The 31-year-old said her weight caused her to have a breakdown and they separated in January 2021.
The couple - who had been together for 12 years - sold their house and lived separately for a year. Gemma weighed 15st 8lbs at her heaviest and after trying and failing most diets decided enough was enough and booked to undergo weight loss surgery in Turkey in March last year.
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Gemma, who runs a networking business, said: "I got myself into a bad relationship with food. I'd binge eat, then force myself to be sick, and then starve myself. It was a vicious cycle. I'd tried loads of diets but I hadn't been able to shift the weight.
"So I decided I would go to Turkey for weight loss surgery as a last resort. I had a gastric sleeve and it cost £3,000. I started gaining weight in 2015 after I was diagnosed with stage three melanoma from a mole that was on my face.
"I was on steroid treatment to help my scarring from the surgery to get it removed, and I just continued to get bigger. I was miserable and I hit rock bottom. I avoided any pictures of myself, my marriage broke down, I couldn’t look at myself and I didn’t want my husband to look at me.
"Paul loved me no matter what size I was, but I didn't love myself. I'm a firm believer in that it doesn’t matter what size you are as long as you’re happy, and I was so far from being happy."
Gemma said she'd been considering weight loss surgery for a while before deciding to use her savings to book it. She had a gastric sleeve which removed 80 percent of her stomach. She said she wasn't phased by the surgery as she had "invasive" operations after being diagnosed with cancer.
She added: "I just couldn't wait to get my life back." Gemma lost 5st in eight months before losing another stone to drop down to 9st 8lbs. She said: "I've never felt better. Although, I wasn't doing it for the number on the scales.
"I just wanted to feel good and comfortable in clothes. I have a new lease of life and my confidence is through the roof."
Gemma and Paul had been together for 12 years but separated after her weight made her so unhappy. They separated for a year before rekindling their relationship thanks to Gemma's weight loss.
She said: "I had a year to focus on myself and get myself sorted and now we are back together and happier than ever. Paul loved me unconditionally, however I was in such a bad place because of how my weight was making me feel.
"It was a major factor in me having a breakdown and playing a role in the breakdown of our marriage. I am so happy that we are back together again. I also now have the confidence to go into a shop and buy something off the hanger. I can wear clothes that I never would have dreamed of fitting into.
"I'm so happy with my new body. The difference in myself is amazing. I still enjoy all of the same foods that I used to eat, just in a much smaller portion. I get really full very easily and I hardly ever feel hungry.
"I don't deny myself of the foods that I enjoy. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. I now have an Instagram account to document my day to day life post surgery.
"I am a firm believer that it doesn’t matter your size and shape as long as you’re happy, but if you’re not happy, only you can change that. Life is too short."
