A 222kg mother who was given just five years to live drops 133kg and 11 dress sizes
A mother has revealed how she shed more than 130kg after being told she would be dead within five years if she did not lose weight.
Canadian-born Brenda Langford, 45, who lives on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, weighed 222kg at her heaviest and said she was constantly fat-shamed by strangers who would ‘stare, point, laugh and make fun’ of her, especially when she was out eating.
In August 2018 she was given a stark warning by a doctor who said she was eating herself to an early grave.
‘My doctor told me I had five years to live because my liver enzymes were very high, I had a severe fatty liver and six days prior, my Dad died from liver cirrhosis,’ she said.
‘I was in shock, thinking that I too, was going to die from it and I felt numb. I was in denial about my weight and thought I could lose it myself, but I just couldn’t exercise anymore because of the pain.
‘I realised I had to do something drastic now because I was in my 40s and realised enough was enough.’
Canadian-born Brenda Langford, 45, who lives on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, weighed 222kg (left) at her heaviest and said she was constantly fat-shamed by strangers who would ‘stare, point, laugh and make fun’ of her, especially when she was out eating. She has lost more than half her body weight after a gastric bypass and surgery to remove excess skin (right)
After losing weight through a gastric bypass, Brenda was left with excess skin (pictured). She has had one procedure to remove 7kg and has a second surgery scheduled
At her heaviest (left), Brenda couldn’t walk ten metres of visit any of her local beautiful beaches. Now Brenda (pictured right) is slowly regaining her confidence
Home care support worker Brenda, who is mother to Brandon, 23, and Kyle, 16, underwent gastric bypass surgery and has since shed 133kg, dropping 11 dress sizes.
She subsequently had a procedure to remove 7kg of excess skin and will have more removed.
Brenda recalled how, at her heaviest, she was so unfit she struggled to walk even 10m.
‘I couldn’t walk my dog, I couldn’t even go to the beach, and I live near some of the best beaches in the world,’ she explained.
‘I couldn’t even go grocery shopping anymore because not only did my feet hurt but my back would just give out on me, and I couldn’t even hold myself up.
‘It was horrible, people would yell at me, I had this one group of young men, drove past me at the grocery store, they decided to come back around and yell things at me like “hey, fatty”.
In August 2018 she was given a stark warning by a doctor who said she was eating herself to an early grave. Pictured before weight loss
The mother realised she had to do something drastic now because she was in her 40s and so she opted for gastric sleeve surgery
Brenda reveals her folds of excess skin following her weight loss. She has since had 7kg of excess skin removed and will have more removed
‘I was in a crowded lift one time and the doors wouldn’t close because there were too many people. An old lady at the back yelled at me, saying “it won’t close because you’re too fat, you need to get off”.
‘Everyone was looking at me, I felt subhuman, it was then revealed to be someone’s backpack in the way of the door.
‘Then there was another time at the shops, a little boy looked at me and said “holy f**k you’re fat” and the two men with him started laughing.’
Brenda, who was bullied about her weight in childhood, said the situation became so severe she didn’t want to leave the house because she suffered social anxiety.
Brenda’s wakeup call came after her doctor broke the devastating news that she would not live another five years if she did not lose weight.
After unsuccessfully trying to slim down, Brenda underwent a gastric sleeve in August 2018 to help her accomplish her goals.
The mother of two would rarely go out in public before her weight loss due to cruel taunts and jeers. Pictured with her husband Matt before her weight loss
Brenda now plans on losing an extra 13kg in order to fulfil her goal of losing two thirds of herself. Pictured with her excess skin following her weight loss
Brenda, pictured today, now wants to lose a further 13kg, so she will be two thirds of her original weight
In September 2021, Brenda underwent her first round of plastic surgery, having a full lower body lift which removed 7kg of excess skin.
Later this year, she’ll have her second round, getting a full upper body lift.
She now plans on losing an extra 13kg in order to fulfil her goal of losing two thirds of herself.
Since losing the weight, Brenda has been able to work for the first time in 15 years.
She went back to school and became a Home Care Support Worker to help other people confined to their homes like she was at her heaviest.
She said: ‘I feel a weight has been lifted off me, my quality of life is amazing.’ I can do anything. I train at the gym six days a week, I can walk for 10 kilometres if I wanted to where before 10 metres was a problem.
‘I’m a much happier person now, this weight loss has made me much more optimistic. Now I live life as a free person, it’s amazing.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk