Source: thesun.co.uk
Tipping the scales at 20 stone, she started to notice her weight was getting in the way of life.
Sarah, 29, from Brisbane, Australia, was given a wake-up call when she had her second daughter – and she began to struggle to keep up.
Determined to do something about her size, Sarah overhauled her lifestyle and underwent sleeve gastrectomy surgery, to reduce the size of her stomach.
The mum-of-two has since dropped more than nine stone and is happier than ever in her trim 11 stone figure.
She said: “I have never been happier. I haven’t just lost weight, I’ve gained a new life.
“One that isn’t ruled by weight restrictions.”
Sarah gained more than seven stone over the course of six years after constantly eating out with her partner and enjoying midnight feasts.
She said: “My weight crept up between 2012 and 2018.
“My partner and I used to enjoy going out and eating together. It was one of our passions.
“At my heaviest I was bingeing on one litre of energy drink a day, eating at least one take away meal every single day and could easily eat a block of chocolate in one sitting.
“I used to also wake up during the night to snack on chocolate or chips.”
After her second daughter was born, Sarah decided she wanted to be more active for her children but her weight got in the way.
Her older sister underwent a gastric sleeve surgery and lost nine stone, and seeing her results, Sarah was encouraged her to do the same.
She went for a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in April last year, removing a large portion of her stomach which helped her feel full even after eating small amounts of food.
She was put on an 800 calorie diet which included high protein and low carbs, causing her to lose more than nine stone.
Sarah said: “I had the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG or Gastric Sleeve).
“There were no complications. I stayed in hospital for three nights after my operation.
“To lose weight I ate an 800 calorie a day diet that was high protein and low-carb.”
Sarah is now charting her weight loss transformation on her Instagram page.
And she says she wants to be open and honest about the effects of weight loss surgery.
She said: “I was inspired by other weight loss accounts and wanted to be open and honest about the effects of weight loss surgery.
“The support has been fantastic!
“I have met some amazing people through the weight loss surgery community.”
Since losing the weight, Sarah said she never felt happier and now lives her life to the fullest.
She added: “I feel fantastic. I have so much energy to play with my daughters and nieces and nephews.
“I used to sweat a lot on my face and was so embarrassed by it. I don’t have that problem at all now.”
Sarah has two children aged 5 and 2 with her partner, Chris, and has been with him for seven years.
At first, he was apprehensive of surgery at the start but became a pillar of support for Sarah throughout her weight loss journey.
She added: “He always has said I was beautiful no matter my size. Our relationship hasn’t changed at all.”
Sarah now hopes to maintain her current weight and doesn’t plan to have any further surgery.
She said: “I haven’t had any skin removal surgeries and don’t plan to in the future.
“I would have a tummy tuck if the loose skin was uncomfortable, but at this stage it’s fine.
“I weigh myself every morning and try and maintain my current weight.
“I’ve been in maintenance since July 2019.”
When it comes to losing weight, Sarah has advised others to work hard in their goals in order to achieve their desired results, saying there is no “quick fix” even with surgery involved.
She said: “It’s not a quick fix. You need to try hard every day to be successful.
“But it is life changing and the best thing I have ever done for myself.
“It wasn’t out of self loathing.
“I loved myself enough to give myself a second chance.”