In my experience

Mallory Buettner reveals how she took control of her body...

My amazing 13st weight loss diary!

When I look at old photos of myself – with my bulging tummy and bingo wings – I can hardly believe that was me. Trapped in a cycle of overeating, I was desperately overweight. But these pictures don’t make me upset or embarrassed; instead, I feel proud. Because now, 13st lighter, they show just how far I’ve come…

I’d been overweight for as long as I can remember. Even as a child I had a huge appetite – I’d always go back for seconds and thirds of pizza or stodgy lasagne.

By 10, I was 14st. I hid behind my loud personality, but so embarrassed by my stretch marks, I’d change for PE in the toilet. My parents encouraged me to diet and I tried everything from Atkins to the cabbage soup diet. But, while I’d lose a few pounds, I never stuck to anything.

By the time I reached my early twenties, I was 26st 4lb – dangerously big for my 5ft 8in frame. But, working full-time as a primary school teacher, I told myself I didn’t have the time to lose weight. Instead, I grabbed whatever I could eat in a hurry – spaghetti or grilled cheese sandwiches – and ignored how my heart thumped when I tried to keep up with my pupils in the playground.

But then, in December 2012, I went for a routine check-up with my GP. When she referred me to a dietician, I remember feeling positive. Perhaps with professional help, I’d see results I hadn’t found with fad diets. So I worked with a dietician to create a meal plan – swapping pasta for salads. Only, after six months, I couldn’t understand why I was still as big as ever – barely squeezing into size 28 tops.

Desperate for help, in July 2013, I went back to the dietician. Even now I can remember the moment she suggested a gastric bypass. I felt so defeated, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. But she explained that constant dieting over the years had slowed my metabolism – without a bypass, I may never lose weight.

Surgery certainly wasn’t the easy answer. I’d be on a liquid diet for three weeks before the bypass, and I’d have to make major changes afterwards, too. I wouldn’t just be able to have smaller portions of the calorific food I loved, instead, I’d need to eat healthy meals, ensuring my body got all its nutrients.

Suddenly, the seriousness of my situation dawned on me. Could I really do this when I’d failed so many times before? Only then, I looked down at my huge bulk and my mind was made up. I had to have the surgery.

In the months that followed I underwent various assessments to ensure I was fit for the operation. It was during one of my appointments that a doctor suggested I take some ‘before’ photos of myself. ‘You can use them as inspiration,’ he said.

So, in May 2014, the day before I was due to start my liquid diet, I stood in my bra and knickers in front of the mirror, and, taking a deep breath, I took a photo…

‘I’d failed so many times’