A mum who lost 13 stone is set to celebrate losing weight by going on a zip line adventure. Business manager Emma was a size 26 at her heaviest and had a lifelong struggle with food.
Her biggest vices were chocolate, beer, wine, cake and fried chicken, and she tried a range of methods and diets to bring her weight down. However, none of them worked in the long term and she was left dejected by how her weight controlled her life in such a negative way.
After seeing how successful a friend’s weight loss surgery had been, she wanted to explore the option herself. After extensive research, Emma decided to have the op done at Weight Loss Riga in Latvia.
She joined a Facebook group made up of past and potential patients, and saw how positive the feedback so decided to proceed. Emma, from Southampton, says: “Being heavier controlled so many aspects of my life, I wasn’t able to do fun activities with my children and I couldn’t live my life to the full.
“I tried all the diets and I tried the gym, but I’d catch a glimpse of myself in a full-length mirror and it would really upset me as it was the only place I would see my full body. When I look back at pictures of myself, I think I look horrific.
"But now that I’ve lost the weight I finally feel like myself again and I’m happy with how I look." After having bariatric surgery in July 2021, as well as the ongoing support of an on-call nutritionist, she dropped 13st and now wears a dress size 8.
And the combination of surgery and a new, healthier relationship with food has given her and her family a new lease of life. Embarking on zip line adventure with her husband, Rob, is a way for Emma to celebrate losing weight.
She said: “Now that I’ve dropped 13st, I’m able to do things that simply weren’t possible before, and it’s changed how I see myself too, for the better. One thing I always wanted to do was zipline with my husband, but I was above the maximum weight and it just wasn’t possible.
“My husband and I are going to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary by finally doing the zipline adventure, and it will be a nice way to celebrate how far we’ve come on my weight loss journey."
Dr Igors Troickis, leading bariatric surgeon at Weight Loss Riga said: “We have been delighted with Emma’s progress and it’s so rewarding to see how much she has achieved. Our patients receive extensive support after their procedure, including nutritional guidance if required, and we empower them to make positive changes to their lifestyles.”
