A woman who weighed 18st has almost cut her body weight in half thanks to a gastric bypass surgery that helped her curb her £800-a-month takeaway habit.
Chelsea Askey (32), of the Isle of Wight saw her weight rise to 16st 8lb. She ate fast food lunches while being a busy hairdresser. She would snack throughout the day and then go home to get dinner from another take-out.
Chelsea, then a size 20, was admitted to the hospital with kidney stones. She was also told she was at increased risk for diabetes.
The warning scared her into taking action and in 2020 she jetted off to Latvia to undergo a £5,000 gastric bypass surgery, which limits the amount an individual eats to feel full, and means fewer calories are absorbed.
Chelsea said that the intervention was ‘worth every dollar’ and she feels more confident with her 8-t 7lb frame.
Chelsea Askey, who weighed 18st (left) has almost cut her body weight in half (right today) thanks to a gastric bypass surgery that helped her curb her £800-a-month takeaway habit
Bad habits: Chelsea is pictured before her weight loss. She ate fast food lunches while being a busy, self-employed hairdresser.
New beginnings: The turning point came when Chelsea, then a size 20, was hospitalised with kidney stones and told she was at risk of diabetes. Chelsea after she lost weight
She said, “I have always been the “fat friend”, but my diet really spiralled outof control when I started focusing on my job rather than my health.
“As a self-employed hairdresser there is no lunch break so I would grab something quick for breakfast and lunch, then order takeout because I was too tired to cook.
“I would just eat whatever I can, such as a large Big Mac with extra Chicken McNuggets to fuel me for the day, then sweet and sour chicken and chips (from the Chinese).
“I also enjoyed snacking throughout my day on chocolate, biscuits and crisps as clients brought in naughty treats.
“Eventually, my health started to decline and I was unable to enjoy life. I was admitted to hospital with kidney stones. The doctor told me that I was at risk for diabetes.
Chelsea was motivated by her health scare to consider gastric bypass surgery. Chelsea decided to seek treatment abroad and booked in at a Latvian clinic in October 2020.
Turning point: The health warning scared her into taking action and in 2020 she jetted off to Latvia to undergo a £5,000 gastric bypass surgery, which limits the amount an individual eats to feel full, and means fewer calories are absorbed. Chelsea before her weight loss
Fed up: Chelsea, pictured right and left before her weight loss, stated that she was always the ‘fat friend. But, after the gastric bypass, she is no longer recognisable.
Chelsea, pictured at eighteen, now prepares her meals ahead-of-time so she doesn’t go back to her old ways
Chelsea’s polycystic-ovary syndrome was helped by her weight loss, which made her feel stronger and healthier. Chelsea before and after her weight-loss (left)
A liquid diet was prescribed before the surgery to help her shrink her stomach and adjust to a life without takeaways.
Chelsea, who posts her weight loss on Instagram and consults a counsellor to help her understand why she eats so much.
She added: ‘By the time I flew to Latvia, I was determined to lead a healthier life on my return.’
She is now a eight-inch woman and prepares her meals ahead so she doesn’t have to go back to her old ways.
She also said, “I lost two stone in two weeks after having the surgery.” It was difficult at first to adjust to rapid weight loss but now I couldn’t be happier.
“My skin, hair and everything was shinier. I feel like I can stand naked in a space and not feel insecure about myself.
“The weight loss has also helped to ease the symptoms of polycystic-ovaries syndrome.
Chelsea before her weight loss. Chelsea and her husband on their wedding day before she gave up fast-food.
Chelsea’s diet before she lost weight consisted mostly of take-out, and she often skipped breakfast.
Chelsea Askey was a hairdresser and chose fast food, which led to her weighing 16 st 8lbs.