A Brazilian social media star has revealed how she shed an incredible amount of weight after going under the knife.
Jessica Valitutto has lost 14st since having bariatric weight loss surgery in 2010.
After losing the weight Jessica had further surgery to remove her excess skin, and has documented her journey on Instagram where she boasts 907,000 followers.
Jessica, who weighed 23st at her heaviest, said the surgery wasn’t a ‘miracle’ cure, because she still had to work hard to shed extra pounds.
Jessica Valitutto has lost 14 stone since having bariatric weight loss surgery in 2010. Pictured at her heaviest at 23st
The Brazilian has documented her weight loss on her Instagram account, which has 907,000 followers
After her surgery Jessica hired a personal trainer and started following a low carb diet to aid her weight loss.
Clearly proud of her transformation, she has continued to share a string of photographs of her bigger self on Instagram.
She credits patience and having strong willpower for helping her lose such a large amount of weight.
Jessica said: ‘I finally realised the only thing you can do is to stay consistent with your goals and be patient.
After getting a gastric band fitted Jessica (pictured before) also had surgery to remove her excess skin
Jessica said the surgery wasn’t a ‘miracle’ cure, because she still had to work hard to lose weight
She hired a personal trainer and undertook a low carb diet to aid her weight loss
‘If you give up halfway, you’ll go back to square one.
‘Be patient. Eat healthily and in accordance with your goals and train seriously.’
Bariatric surgery is achieved by inserting a gastric band to reduce the size of the stomach, which decreases appetite.
Jessica believes she would have always regretted not having the surgery if she turned it down.
She admitted she was dismayed when she discovered that her surgery wasn’t going to be a quick fix solution, but decided to persevere.
She said that the most important thing she did in her weight loss journey was not to give up
Jessica has taken fans on her weight loss journey from the beginning by sharing videos of herself exercising
Jessica continued: ‘If I gave up when I discovered that bariatric surgery is not a miracle, today I would be crying with regret.’
She uses her platform on Instagram to share advice to her followers, telling them to work hard to achieve their goals.
She wrote in one caption: ‘Our life is more than a burden, it is a GIFT. Your life is to be lived with joy, with pleasure, with dedication … What does all this make you?
‘Only you really know where it hurts, where your pain is stronger, which really bothers you. May you find yourself, do not wait for a MIRACLE, it does not exist, but make it happen through your attitude!’