A woman who was fed up of being laughed at and abused for her weight has lost more than seven stone in just eight months after she decided to change her life in lockdown.
Harriet Southan tipped the scales at more than 20 stone in March 2020, after she turned to comfort food when her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend.
The 31-year-old decided to make a dramatic change, by undergoing a surgical procedure - known as a vertical sleeve gastrectomy - which removes up to 85 per cent of a person’s stomach to limit their food intake.
“I knew I needed to lose several stone, and it seemed impossible on all the fad diets I had tried,” said Harriet.
“In lockdown I couldn’t cope with what I saw facing me in the mirror. This girl was lost.
“I had always been confident, but would easily feel hurt inside if people looked at me or were whispering around me, assuming it was about me.”
The makeup artist recalled one incident when she confronted a family who laughed at her for wearing a bikini in the Dominican Republic and another, when she was called a “fat c***” by a drunk stranger while queuing for Britain’s Got Talent.
She said she was determined to make a change, to silence the people who were cruel to her and become more comfortable and confident.
“I knew I had to do something about it, lockdown was here, and I couldn’t stand how I looked," she added.
“I wanted to wear pretty clothes, and was fed up with wearing a pair of my 23 pairs of black leggings.
“I wanted to wear jeans, I wanted my feet to not hurt so much when I went out in heels because of my weight.
“I wanted to feel better, look better. I would get out of breath, hated stairs, would get hot and bothered especially in summer.”
Harriet now weighs 13st 9lb and she has dropped from a dress size 20 to 12.
But while the operation was a success, and she has also adopted a healthy diet and rigorous exercise programme, some of her friends have questioned her decision to get surgery.
“Some friends told me I could do it myself and I didn’t need an operation,” she said.
“Funnily enough these are the friends who never comment on my new appearance, never tell me how proud they are of me, or ever tell me I look great.
“I didn’t make the fact I had my surgery public, but I often get asked at school on the playground at pick-up time how I’ve done it and I never know what to say - I think I just freeze.”
She added: “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I wish I had known more about it in my twenties as I probably would have taken the plunge sooner.
“I am so much more confident, content and happy in life. I’ve decreased my antidepressants dosage as I don’t need to depend on them now.
“I can run around with my energetic six year old who has ADHD. I can fit into small clothes, and have started sharing my friends' clothes - it’s such a lovely feeling.”
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