Mum Who Was ‘Too Fat To Fly’ Turns Her Weight Around In Stunning Transformation

By Rebecca Drew

 

THIS MUM of one almost halved her bodyweight in just TEN-MONTHS and now she is looking forward to taking her first flight this year after always feeling like she was TOO BIG TO FLY.

Esthetician, Annie Foster (32) from Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA, had been overweight for most of her life and would always turn to food as a comfort and would eat whatever she could, with her go to things to eat being cakes, pies or anything fried.

At 30st 10lb and a UK size 34, mum of one Annie always made sure she had a smile on her face when out in public and with friends but when she was home she felt sad about her weight and how she looked.

It wasn’t until a trip to the beach in June 2017, when she had to take six different types of medication which included; a CPAP machine to help her breathe at night, three types of inhaler, prednisone for inflammation of her lungs and ibuprofen for aches and pains due to her weight just to enjoy the day that she decided to make a change.

Annie started to make small changes to her diet and made herself do small workouts like walking and running before deciding to have a gastric bypass in June 2018 and hired a personal trainer to get into shape and she hasn’t looked back since.

Now Annie is a healthier 16st 2lb and a UK size 16 and credits her weight loss for making her the happiest she has ever been because she has the energy to run around with her daughter, Katelynn (7), can ride rollercoasters and is looking forward to take her first flight later this year because she felt too big to even attempt it before.

“The main factor that played a role in me being overweight was food because it was my comfort when anything in life or growing up would bother me. I would turn to food because at the time I thought that food wouldn’t hurt me but in the end all the eating did hurt me later in life,” said Annie.

“Before I lost the weight I felt only ok and I can openly say that now because honestly I would put a smile on my face to the world but when I would get home it was a completely different story.

“I was on a trip one year with my friends and in order to function on the beach and to have fun I had to take six different medications. I was miserable and at that point I said, ‘no more, this cannot be my life.’

“I started to make a lifestyle change by doing little workouts and changing my eating first and then by summer of 2017 I made the decision to have a gastric bypass and that’s when it really all started. I had to lose weight on my own, so I hired a personal trainer who helped me.

“Losing weight has given me a new life, I never imagined life being and feeling this way. I’m 32 years old and I am the happiest I have ever been in my entire life. I can now do things that I was afraid to do like ride a roller coaster.

“I will be flying to Miami this year and it is my first flight because I felt I was too big to fly before. I’m able to be active with my daughter which is absolutely amazing, life is great.”

Before her weight loss, Annie would eat whatever she could at no set meal times but since overhauling her lifestyle she has protein for breakfast, protein for lunch with vegetables and the same for dinner whilst snacking on fruit during the day.

Since her astonishing weight loss, Annie’s always told how amazing she now looks and is asked for advice on how she’s achieved the results she has.

Annie is now focusing on weight training to sculpt her body but says that the most difficult thing about her journey has been accepting that she has lost the weight she has as she sometimes still sees the old Annie looking back in her reflection.

“When I started the journey, I was focused on dropping weight fast so I did lots of walking and cardio but now I am focused on weight training to sculpt and tone my body,” she said.

“People see me and say, ‘girl, you look amazing’, and then they ask me what I did to lose weight.

“The hardest thing about my journey has been the mind, the reason why I say this is because your body loses weight so fast that your mind does not have time to catch up. So, I constantly battle this issue because sometimes I still see the 430lb Annie in the mirror.

“I feel freaking amazing though and I have such joy in my heart for life, health and strength.

“To anyone wanting to lose weight, I would say the first thing is to get your mind ready for the journey you are about to start no matter which route you may choose to take to lose weight.

“Once you start, keep pushing. Some days will be better than others but don’t let that one bad day make you fail, you got this, we got this. Also stay around people who are going to help motivate you.”

For more information see www.instagram.com/bypasschic