A 32-stone woman who was heavier than her bathroom scales could measure lost 11st 10lbs in just nine months after gastric bypass surgery.
Anastasia Morris, 32, says she was a "chubby kid" growing up but her weight seriously rocketed in her late teens. Anastasia would go out for food or get a takeaway six nights a week. She cycled through fad diets but would always gain any weight she lost back. She continued gobbling up to 10k calories a day because food was a "comfort" after having surprise baby, Euan, now 12, when she was 19.
Last year after tipping the scales weighing 31st 13lbs - the highest weight her bathroom scales could record - and bursting out of a size 36 - she decided to make a change. She wanted to go on theme park rides and enjoy day trips with Euan - so splashed £17.5k on gastric bypass surgery in August 2023. She lost 3st 7lbs in the first month - and has now lost 11st 10lbs in total nine months on.
Now 19st 10lbs and a size 22, Anastasia can weigh herself on her bathroom scales with ease - and is looking forward to losing another 9st 10lbs to reach her goal weight. Anastasia, a logistics administrative assistant, from Llanymynech, Wales, said: "Growing up, food was my comfort - I would have dinner with my family then sneak out to the chippy and have a second meal.
Anastasia was heavier than her bathroom scales (Anastasia Morris/SWNS)"My mum put me on loads of diets - Slimming World, SlimFast, Weight Watchers - but I always put the weight back on. After I moved out, I didn't realise how many calories I was consuming. I would always be thinking 'what can I eat next?' and after I had my son the weight continued to creep up."
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"It got to the point I could barely walk - I was too big for theme park rides and couldn't sit in booth seats at restaurants. I realised I was existing, but not living. Now people see me and don't even recognise me. I can go on day trips with my family and walk for miles - my only regret is that I didn't get the surgery sooner."
Anastasia was always largest in her family and despite dieting could never keep the weight off. When she moved out at 17 she took the opportunity to eat whatever, and as much, as she wanted. She and her husband, Daniel, 35, would enjoy Nandos, Frankie and Benny's, and Chinese takeaways six nights a week.
Then she would gorge on snacks late at night - meaning she would eat up to 10,000 calories some days. She said: "We had a big social life and going out for dinner has always been one of my favourite things. I would skip breakfast and have a meal deal for lunch before a huge tea.
Anastasia after she lost the 11.5 stone (Anastasia Morris/SWNS)"Then I'd have a full-sized chocolate bar and a big bag of crisps or Haribos in bed. I never felt full, I completely lost that ability." After having her son aged 19, Anastasia's bad habits continued and her weight ballooned further. As a size 36 she could only buy clothes from specialist shops and she got so big she could barely walk or do anything she enjoyed.
Anastasia said: "If I was going somewhere I would try to work out how much walking or standing would be involved. I wouldn't want to do things like go to the zoo or an escape room. I wouldn't want to go to the beach because if I sat down, I wouldn't be able to get back up again. I hadn't been on a theme park ride since I was 15 - my son would always have to go on with his dad."
One day - after her weight exceeded 32 stone and her bathroom scales couldn't record it - she decided "enough was enough". She set up a monthly payment plan and booked in for £17.5k gastric bypass surgery. The surgery involves making the stomach smaller and bypassing part of the intestines so people feel full after much smaller amounts of food. After a seven-week mandatory diet of calorie-controlled milkshakes to prepare her for the surgery, she went under the knife on August 1, 2023.
After weeks of a liquid and puree diet to reintroduce food, Anastasia began eating solids again - but could only eat tiny amounts. She said: "You can eat more as you heal but even now, I can only eat a few forkfuls of pasta or two chicken nuggets before I feel full. Carbs are too filling - it kills me not being able to have bread - but it's not worth it."
Anastasia at Disneyland Paris where she can now go on the rides (Anastasia Morris/SWNS)Each month since the surgery she has seen lots of weight drop off - and has lost a third of her bodyweight in under a year. While she plans to lose more, she is already feeling the benefits Anastasia said: "All I ever wanted was to shop in normal clothes shops and go on a theme park ride with my son.
"Now I can do that - we went to Disneyland in April and I walked around all day and went on every ride with my son. I don't have the constant anxiety that I won't fit in the seat or wondering if my chair will break underneath me any more. I do miss food but I can't physically eat rubbish any more - and it's worth it for how I feel now. I look and feel so much better and I'm so proud - my only regret is not doing this ten years ago."
Diet before:
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Breakfast - four slices of toast with butter
Lunch - Sandwich, crisps, chocolate bar, yogurt, big bag of sweets and bottle of pop
Dinner - homecooked would be two chicken breasts with potato wedges, rice and garlic bread. Takeaway would be nine inch doner pizza and large cheesy chips
Drinks - Coke, orange juice, fizzy pop
Snacks - pick 'n' mix, biscuits, large family bars of chocolate
Diet after:
Breakfast - 3-4 tablespoons of porridge
Lunch - Chicken skewer with some salad
Dinner - quarter of a chicken breast with some Mediterranean vegetables
Drinks - Protein shakes, squash, water
Snacks - Protein yogurts, fruit, Babybel lights
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