“IF I locked you in a cell for a year without feeding you, would you lose weight?” That was the question from Kelly Cawthra’s GP when she tried to discuss weight loss surgery.

It wasn’t the support that Kelly, 43, from Cleckheaton had hoped for, after years of yo-yo dieting. But the comment prompted her to take matters into her own hands, and she went on to lose more than eight stone after having surgery.

Kelly, who owns beauty clinic KL Beauty & Aesthetics, started gaining weight after the birth of her first child in 2000. Her weight went up over the years, peaking at 16 stone 11 lb after her third child was born. “I tried diets and exercise routines, but nothing seemed to work,” says Kelly.

Despite joining a slimming group and losing four stone, maintaining weight loss remained a challenge as she struggled with emotional eating and portion control. “It was disheartening. It turned out my portion sizes were the issue. I didn’t realise how much I was eating.”

Kelly turned to her GP, hoping for a referral for bariatric surgery, with an obese BMI of 37.9. She left feeling disheartened. “I asked about surgery, and he refused. It was so dismissive. I walked out feeling completely deflated,” she says. “But that moment lit a fire in me. I wanted to prove him wrong, to show I had the strength to achieve my goals on my terms.”

Kelly had tried various diets but nothing worked Kelly had tried various diets but nothing worked (Image: Image submitted)

When a client walked into Kelly’s salon looking slimmer, Kelly was inspired: “She’d gone to Weight Loss Riga for a gastric sleeve. I booked my surgery that very day. I flew out to Riga, in Latvia, that weekend and had the surgery on the Monday.” Kelly had a mini gastric bypass in 2022.

Reflecting on the cost - around £4,980 including travel and accommodation- she says: “In the UK, it would have cost upwards of £10,000.”

Kelly has shed nearly eight stone and is now 9st 1lb. Her dress size has dropped from 20 to size 6-8. “I feel amazing,” she says. “I’m more confident and I’m enjoying life so much more. After years of hiding in baggy clothes, I wear pieces I never thought I could, like bikinis and bodycon dresses.

"Before, I’d have toast with butter and jam for breakfast, a supermarket meal deal of sandwich, crisps and fizzy drink for lunch, and a big cooked meal for dinner. I snacked constantly on sweets and crisps. Now I’m mindful of what I eat. I have a home-cooked dinner but my portion sizes are smaller. Life’s too short to feel unhappy in your own skin. It’s never too late to take that first step.”

Kelly's weight loss has transformed her life Kelly's weight loss has transformed her life (Image: Image submitted)

Dr Maksims Mukans, a bariatric surgeon at Weight Loss Riga, said: “After undergoing gastric bypass surgery, patients often experience a profound transformation in their relationship with food. The procedure significantly reduces the stomach’s capacity, leading to a feeling of fullness after consuming much smaller portions. We provide comprehensive support, including personalised nutritional counselling, to empower patients to make sustainable lifestyle changes for long-term health and wellbeing.”

* https://weightlossriga.co.uk/wls-w