A mum who lost six stone in just six months has opened up on how the weight loss has given her the confidence to end 11 years of being single.
Hayley Smith, 41, from Bedale, suffered from years of poor self-esteem due to her size, which led her to avoid social events such as parties, weddings and even meeting with friends.
But her life changed after weight loss surgery abroad, which saw her drop from a size 22 to a size 12 in just six months.
Read more: Sahara Desert dust spotted in North East after heatwave
She said: “I have battled with my weight all my adult life and it really restricted my ability to live a happy and normal life.
“I struggled with self-consciousness and social anxiety, which meant I barely left the house and I avoided anything that involved being around people in public.
“I have been single for 11 years, partly because of how my weight affected how I saw myself, but I am starting to open up to the idea of dating, which I never even thought about before.
The North Yorkshire mum added: “It’s not true that you can’t be beautiful if you are bigger and I have many beautiful friends who are heavier, but I never saw that in myself.
“While before I never entertained the idea of dating at all, I can now take things as they come and if I meet someone then I won’t be as quick to say ‘no’.
“Losing six and a half stone has changed my life completely and I’m able to enjoy my life so much more.”
At her heaviest, Hayley tipped the scales at 17 stone 2lb and wore a dress size of 22.
But since her bariatric bypass surgery in February, the mum-of-two has dropped to 11 stone 4lb and dons a dress size 10/12.
After struggling with yo-yo dieting for her adult life, the turning point was when she hit her 40th birthday and decided to explore weight loss surgery to improve her quality of life and also that of her children.
Hayley added: “I spent most of my 30s avoiding going out and I lost friends because I didn’t see them as often as I should, so I decided I wasn’t going to waste my 40s too.
“I wouldn’t go to their houses for drinks or go to any events, and even going into the shop I would avoid eye contact with the checkout person because my self-confidence was so low.
“My mum was really against the idea of going abroad for surgery because she was afraid something would go wrong.
Get more from The Northern Echo with a Premium Plus Digital Subscription for as little as £1.50 a week. Click here.
“I spent 12 months researching weight loss surgery but I was put off every other clinic by even one or two negative reviews, but as hard as I tried to find a negative review of Weight Loss Riga, I simply couldn’t, it was all fantastic.
Despite being nervous about the surgery beforehand, the North Yorkshire mum wants to continue to be healthy and enjoy life.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here