‘I could not even stand at 39st – now I’m unrecognisable after large weight reduction’

A girl who misplaced a whopping 21.5st has likened her weight reduction journey to ‘walking out of the coffin’.

At her heaviest, Whitney Wheeler of Springfield, Missouri, US, weighed 39st. With 30% physique fats, her comparatively quick stature of 5ft 7in struggled beneath the burden, making easy duties like standing and strolling insufferable.

However, she’s now an entire new lady after dropping the burden. Now Whitney has opened up about her weight reduction journey.

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She mentioned: “Obesity is something I struggled with my entire life. I can’t say there was a time when I wasn’t overweight or obese. I grew up in a home where carbs and fatty foods were always served during meals.

“I can count on one hand how many veggies I was introduced to as a child. We never ate healthy foods,” shared Whitney, whose mum and granny additionally struggled with weight problems.

“I remember a moment from first grade when the class was doing a project on height and weight. My classmates were reporting their numbers, and when it was my turn to stand on the scale, I stunned everyone with my weight of 9st 3lbs, while the others fell within the normal range.”

Despite her measurement, Wheeler was decided to not let her weight maintain her again. “I’ve always been pretty, so I accentuated my facial features and tried not to focus my attention on my weight,” she mentioned. “My entire life was spent attempting to uphold the large lady status. I had a boyfriend. I took half in all the college sports activities, I used to be captain of the cheerleading workforce. I used to be in drama. I used to be in style. From center faculty to my faculty years, I didn’t let my weight cease me.”

But as time went on, Whitney realised her weight was inflicting critical well being issues. She tried totally different diets and misplaced as a lot as 3.5st, however she at all times gained the burden again, plus slightly extra. “I had high blood pressure and couldn’t sleep well,” she admits. “My joints hurt, and I had trouble breathing. But I kept thinking it wasn’t that bad.”

Whitney’s wake-up name got here when she considered her household’s historical past. Her grandma and her mum each died of their 40s from congestive coronary heart failure, linked to weight problems. Whitney knew it wasn’t nearly appears anymore; her personal life was on the road.

She mentioned: “My gran always tried to lose weight. She joined Overeaters Anonymous and Weight Watchers, but the weight never stayed off. I realised it was up to me to break the obesity cycle in our family. I had been stuck in a never-ending loop for years.

“I was on 11 different medications, taking some twice a day. I couldn’t stand up and had to roll out of. I couldn’t go to the grocery store without leaning over the cart. I felt like I was trapped inside of a box – this body I called a coffin. I was suffocating mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. Something had to change.”

Whitney mentioned she began her weight reduction journey again in 2013. She mentioned: “The first thing I did was started meal prepping my food and working out daily. I lost some weight, but not nearly enough. Five years later I had gained all my weight back, and more.

“That’s when my blood stress spiked to 260/190 and the docs despatched me residence as a result of my weight exceeded the hospital tools. They couldn’t assist me. Desperate, I made a decision to bear gastric sleeve surgical procedure in 2021. I misplaced 8.5st earlier than the surgical procedure and one other 6st 4lbs straight after the surgical procedure. But then my weight plateaued.”

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Whitney emphasised an important reality about weight reduction surgical procedure – it’s a highly effective device, however it doesn’t assure long-term success by itself.

She added: “You need to do the work. Gastric surgical procedure jumpstarts the method, serving to you shed substantial weight in a comparatively quick span. However, long-term success hinges in your selections, habits, and mindset.

“It’s not just about losing the weight; it’s about keeping it off. Loving yourself, being kind, and staying determined to stay healthy are as much part of the journey as choosing the right foods, being mindful of portions, and exercising.”

With over 500 000 followers – Facebook being her largest platform with 395 000 followers – Whitney’s advice to others wanting to lose weight would be to have realistic goals. “Celebrate every small accomplishment, and learn to love yourself to the fullest,” she mentioned. “We only have one life to live so live your best life.”