‘I WAS TOO FAT FOR SCALES’ Holly Smith, 37, Adelaide, SA
Butterflies collided in Holly Smith’s stomach when she stepped on the doctor’s scales for the first time in six years.
She had started to feel the pinch over time as clothes clung tight around her body, but never in a million years did the 37-yearold mum-of-one think her weight had ballooned so much.
“I was too big to be weighed,” Holly recalls. “My doctor told me the scales only went up to 200kg. I had to go to a nearby hospital to step on special medical scales.”
When she finally got an accurate reading, she was traumatised to learn she tipped the scales at a whopping 208kg.
Sadly, Holly had always veered on the large side, but her weight spiralled after giving birth to her son Lachlan, six, in 2011. She was consuming more than 5000 calories bingeing on supersized KFC meals and family-sized blocks of chocolate every day.
She’d tried many diets in the past, but all were in vain. Desperate to shed weight, g she looked at gastric sleeve surgery – only to be denied. Being a size 32 it was too dangerous for her to undergo surgery.
Shocked into action, the Adelaide mum embarked on a strict diet, shedding 19kg in two-and-a-half months so she could safely have the procedure.
“It was the best decision I’ve ever made,” says Holly, who dropped 61kg in six months.
Since then the project manager feels “healthier and more alive” than ever.
Holly has lost a total of 102kg – dropping seven dress sizes – and is able to fit into size 16 skinny jeans for the first time.
While her goal weight is 85kg – she’s currently 106kg – Holly’s confidence has skyrocketed and her calorie-ridden old diet is a thing of the past. Nowadays, she nibbles on small and satisfying meals like quiche or Thai chicken salad. She’s also goes to the gym six times a week.
“I’ve learnt to love my body,” Holly smiles. “My entire world has changed. I feel so alive.”