A mum-of-five who has been on a 'yo-yo diet her whole life' has shared her jubilance after losing eight stone. Hayley Matthews can now wear size 14 dresses with ease and is enjoying a more active lifestyle since the surgery in October 2021.
Hayley had weight management problems from a young age. She had her first child at 17, which is when she started to gain weight that would not come off.
With each successive pregnancy, the 47-year-old's weight increased to 21 stone. It was an agonising bout of gallstone pain that set Hayley off onto her weight loss journey, reports BirminghamLive.
Hayley, who lives in Stafford, was told that in order to get the surgery needed to combat the gallstone attacks, she would need to lose three stone. But yo-yo dieter Hayley knew she couldn't rely on will power alone.
She decided to spend just under £4,000 on a gastric sleeve operation in Turkey. Despite never wanting to leave Staffordshire by herself, Hayley plucked up the courage to travel to Turkey by herself.
She has not looked back since. The 5ft 5ins nail technician has lost eight stone since her trip to Turkey in October 2021.
After going from a size 22-24 to a 14, she finally got to wear a dress for the first time in 30 years for her birthday celebrations last year. Explaining how she put on weight, Hayley said: "I was born premature and was tiny growing up.
"When I got to 15, I started to get plump. I had my first child at 17 and have five children now.
"After each child, I just put on another stone or so on. I'd lose a stone then put it back on and just yo-yo dieted my whole life.
"I didn't eat a lot of food but it was the type of food I was having. I constantly battled my weight and hated it.
"I'd work all day and not eat and then have junk food at home late at night." Speaking about the impact of the pandemic, she continued: "During lockdown, I got to 21 stone.
"This the biggest I've ever been. I thought 'I can't do this anymore, I'm going to end up having a heart attack'.
"I started having gallstone attacks but I was too heavy for the surgery. It would come on in a split second and I felt as I was being punched in the stomach and then agony for about an hour would follow."
Hayley, is mum to Stacey, 30, Chloe, 27, Lewis, 24, Lexie, 12 and eight-year-old Harley. She travelled to Turkey for a gastric sleeve operation.
She said: "I'm someone who won't go out of Cannock or drive on a motorway. So to go to Turkey on my own was a big deal.
"I was petrified and a nervous wreck. I was there for nine days altogether.
"When I woke up from surgery I wasn't in any pain, but I felt exhausted. I did everything that they asked and was sent home with all the medication.
"I was on a liquid diet first, then went onto purée and eventually solid food. It is hard mentally, when people think it's the easy way out - it isn't.
"I just kept going because I knew the outcome was important." Now, Hayley has lost eight stone and is able to be more active with her children.
She said: "The kids love it. My eldest is 30 and said how she can't believe how big I was, they are all so proud.
"I'd like to lose a little more weight but I'm ok with it now. As long as I'm not putting more on, then I'm ok with that."
She added that it is the little things which make her feel confident now, like being able to fasten a standard aeroplane seatbelt around herself. Hayley said: "I've never been someone who wasn't confident.
"I always had a big personality. But when I put on weight I felt insecure and slobbish.
"But now I feel so much better. I always wanted to wear a skirt but stuck to trousers.
"On my birthday last year, it had been 30 years since I wore a dress and I went out with a dress on. It was knee-high and I felt a little conscious but it was amazing.
"We went out in Birmingham and I thought 'I don't know how to walk' because I'd always worn trousers. I'd always had to have an extender for the seat belt when on a plane, so not needing it anymore is amazing.
"My daughter used to work with me and had her legs crossed all the time. I was never able to do that so now to be able to cross my legs feels incredible."
She continued: "I'd be wedged in the hair salon seat when I went for a blow dry but now I have so much space. At spas, dressing gowns would never go around me, but now they do.
"It's the little things like that which mean so much. We went to Turkey last year and clipping the aeroplane seatbelt in was the best feeling.
"I don't get out of breath as easily now and have loads of energy. To see my waist come in and my face change makes me feel sexy which I've not felt before."
