A woman who lost nearly half of her body weight has revealed how vintage fashion spurred her on to shed the pounds.
Ellie Jones, 30, from Woolston, Hampshire, started to slowly gain weight when she hit her teens after she was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries (PCOS), which can lead to weight gain.
However, when her love-life fell apart and she came under pressure at work, Ellie turned to pizza and ice cream – and quickly saw her hour-glass figure disappear under excess weight.
Ellie Jones, 30, decided to shed the pounds after tipping the scales at 25 stone following a period of binge eating following a relationship breakdown
![The health care worker was diagnosed with poly-cystic ovary syndrome as a teen and struggled to keep the weight off](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/01/09/47AC79CE00000578-5225955-image-m-23_1514800099139.jpg)
![Now, after losing half of her body weight thanks to a gastric sleeve and rigorous walking regime, Ellie has rediscovered her love of vintage clothes](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/01/09/47AC784200000578-5225955-image-a-24_1514800111771.jpg)
The health care worker was diagnosed with poly-cystic ovary syndrome as a teen and struggled to keep the weight off. Now, after losing half of her body weight thanks to a gastric sleeve and rigorous walking regime, Ellie has rediscovered her love of vintage clothes
The pretty brunette reveals that her physique left her so anxious that she would worry about certain social situations in case she couldn’t fit in chairs.
Determined to drop the pounds and forge a healthy lifestyle for herself, a desperate Ellie, who eventually tipped the scales at 25 stone and wore a size 26 – 28 dress, turned to her GP for help and was approved for an NHS operation to have gastric sleeve surgery.
Thanks to the surgery, a protein-rich diet and walking at least three hours a day, Ellie has now lost a whopping 12st 13lbs and is determined to lose another 21lbs to hit 10st, considered a healthy weight for her petite 5ft 4 frame.
![Unrecognisable: A blonde Ellie during her heavier days when she would wear a size 26 to 28](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/01/09/47AC79D600000578-5225955-image-a-3_1514799041948.jpg)
Unrecognisable: A blonde Ellie during her heavier days when she would wear a size 26 to 28
![Pretty in vintage! The 30-year-old says her hourglass curves were hidden underneath 'fat'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/01/09/47AC796900000578-5225955-image-a-8_1514799099037.jpg)
Pretty in vintage! The 30-year-old says her hourglass curves were hidden underneath ‘fat’
![The stunning healthcare worker pictured before and after her weight-loss with her electrician fiancé Calum Brimage](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/01/09/47AC77B100000578-5225955-image-m-25_1514800291940.jpg)
![The couple are now engaged to be married](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/01/09/47AC77C100000578-5225955-image-a-26_1514800299827.jpg)
The stunning healthcare worker pictured before and after her weight-loss with her electrician fiancé Calum Brimage
Health care practitioner Ellie said: ‘Before I had the operation I was going through a rough time and was experiencing the end of a relationship. I turned to food and was a little bit bulimic.
‘I was sick of everything being blamed on my weight. If I went to the doctors with earache I’d be told it was because I was fat.
Since my weight loss people who have not seen me in a while don’t recognise me – and attention from people in the street has gone through the roof – everyone notices it.
‘I was sick of worrying about going out whether I would be comfortable and also people staring at me.
‘I knew I had to do something about it so went to my GP.
Ellie lost three stone before undergoing weight-loss surgery in October last year which reduced her stomach to the size of a ball-point pen and has seen her steadily lose the weight that crippled her self-confidence.
Ellie said: ‘I’ve now got a real hour-glass figure – I was quite lucky that I had that sort of shape beforehand with just a lot of fat on top of it.
‘After losing the weight I took all my fat clothes, which were a size 26-28, to a charity shop as they were huge on me.
![Charity shop drop: Ellie says she can no longer get in any of her old clothes and has dispatched them to charity shops](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/01/09/47AC79D200000578-5225955-image-a-1_1514799021198.jpg)
Charity shop drop: Ellie says she can no longer get in any of her old clothes and has dispatched them to charity shops
‘I didn’t keep them as they took up too much room in my wardrobe. I’ve always loved the 1950s and vintage look and now can pick anything I want off the rail instead of having to choose from unflattering and expensive plus-size clothing.
‘I pick up lots of fabulous clothes from charity shops and manage to get around eight outfits a month for just £20.
‘Some dresses I can get for just £1. I love charity shops, there’s so much awesome stuff.
‘My confidence has gone through the roof since the operation. It’s great to just look normal and not have people looking at me because I’m big.
‘Now I look good so when people do look at me I know it’s because I look nice, not because of my size.
‘Since my weight loss people who have not seen me in a while don’t recognise me, which is really nice, and attention from people I walk past in the street has gone through the roof – everyone notices it.’
In addition to being able to wear outfits that flaunt, rather than hide, her svelte size-12 figure Ellie said she is thrilled with the huge health benefits.
Ellie said: ‘Some people say opting for surgery is cheating but it’s not an easy option.
![Tattooed Ellie has dropped eight dress sizes since losing weight and says her confidence has soared](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/01/09/47AC777B00000578-5225955-image-a-12_1514799120761.jpg)
Tattooed Ellie has dropped eight dress sizes since losing weight and says her confidence has soared
‘It was tough to go through but it was absolutely worth it. It’s a new way of life. I’m so much fitter and healthier, now I don’t get out of breath walking up a slight hill.
![Ellie now wears a size 12 and prepares all of her meals ahead of her shifts so she doesn't fall foul of stodgy canteen food](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/01/10/47AC770800000578-5225955-image-a-28_1514801048192.jpg)
Ellie now wears a size 12 and prepares all of her meals ahead of her shifts so she doesn’t fall foul of stodgy canteen food
‘I feel one hundred times better. When it comes to exercise I don’t really do much apart from a lot of walking – at least three hours a day.’
Ellie, who has dropped eight dress sizes since her surgery, has swapped fatty convenience foods for hearty protein-rich home-made meals.
Ellie said: ‘I take all my meals to work with me in Tupperware boxes which does take a lot of prep but is worth it in the long run.
‘I still go out and enjoy food and cocktails, I just go for a starter or something from the kids menu.’
Since her incredible weight-loss transformation Ellie has got engaged to 27-year-old electrician fiancé Calum Brimage.
Ellie said: ‘We’ve been engaged two months now and are so happy.
‘We were together for two years and then broke up but remained good friends the whole time we were apart.
‘Things happened and we fell back in love. My fiancé keeps saying he fell in love with me as I was and that I’m just as beautiful now as I was then.
‘I can’t wait to start planning for the wedding – I’ve already decided to opt for a Fifties-style tea-length wedding dress.’