An obese woman who was ridiculed and bullied for her weight has lost more than 112lbs in just 18 months after her ongoing battle with her body image almost drove her to commit suicide.
Heather Ernst, 25, of Massachusetts said that she has always ‘been made fun of for my size – whether it was peers at school or even family – someone always had a comment’.
Because of the constant mocking, Heather resorted to food which led her to treat it has comfort rather than nourishment when she felt low and resulted in her heaviest weight of 263lbs and a size 16-18.
Before and after: In November 2015, Heather underwent a vertical sleeve gastrectomy
Determination: Heather as she wears a pair of old pants. She lost more than 112 in 18 months
‘The worse I felt and the constant teasing led to me using food as a source of emotional comfort. When I was sad – I ate an entire pint of ice cream. I even recall eating an entire ice cream cake to myself one day,’ Heather said.
‘I was miserable and I hated every single aspect of myself. The higher the number got on the scale, the worse I felt.’
Heather was diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder in 2010 and while on a family trip, she was ridiculed about her size, got a bottle of pills and considered ending her life.
‘I was in a very toxic relationship but I accepted the love that I thought that I deserved, and ended up spending four years of my life with someone that did not treat me very well or respect me’, Heather said.
After her relationship ended, Heather was in a rough place and didn’t know what to think.
She said she felt ‘trapped in her own body’ because she thought he was the person she would marry.
Then and now: Heather said she was so unhappy that she contemplated taking her own life
The new Heather: Now, she weighs 146lbs and no longer uses food as ’emotional support’
Bullied and ridiculed: Heather said she grew up being taunted by peers and even family for her weight
‘I flew to New Orleans on a family trip and after being ridiculed about my size the entire trip, I went back to the hotel room and grabbed a bottle of pills, sat on the bathroom floor and thought about killing myself- I didn’t think I had anything left to live for,’ she said.
But after seeing her own father, an ex-marathon runner, suffer from diabetes and multiple strokes that Heather decided it was time to turn her life around.
‘My father was very sick for a very long time. He was diabetic and never managed his sugars, suffered multiple strokes,’ Heather said.
‘I was seeing firsthand what happens when you don’t take care of yourself and I refused for that to be my life. It was then that I decided to take control of my life.
On November 9, 2015, she underwent vertical sleeve gastrectomy weight loss surgery which removes a large portion of the stomach and creates a new, smaller stomach that limits the amount of food a person can eat.
The surgery combined with exercising and dieting allowed for Heather to shed the weight and go down to 146lbs and a size two to four.
Suicidal thoughts: After breaking up with her boyfriend, she got a bottle of pills while she was with family in New Orleans
Enough is enough: But after seeing how unhealthy habits impacted her dad, she decided to take control of her life
Happy and healthy: After undergoing weight loss surgery, she now eats better and exercises regularly
She now eats just 1,200-calories a day which is mostly comprised of a lot of lean meat, fruits and vegetables, no carbohydrates and exercises four to five times a week, attending spin and yoga classes.
Sadly, her father passed away in April of last year but he fortunately got to see the weight loss transformation she made because of him.
‘Losing weight has changed my life entirely for the better. It pains me to think that I’ve almost taken my life on multiple occasions because I was so unhappy with myself,’ she said.
‘I used to use food in all the wrong ways. Instead of treating it like emotional support, I use it to fuel my body.’
Heather still treats herself to some unhealthier options every once in a while but she now knows that it’s all about moderation.
She also tries to limit soda consumption and has gone from drinking more than 20 cans of diet soda in less than a week to enjoying one every few months because ‘drinking water and staying hydrated is important’.
Motivated by her father: Heather’s dad died in April 2016 but he still got to see her efforts toward a healthier lifestyle
‘Focus on food’: Heather said it has helped her to stay healthy by prepping her meals in advance
Positivity and support: Heather has been met with enthusiastic feedback which has helped her stay on track
That’s not all that’s important for Heather.
She said to ‘focus on your food first and make sure you prep your meals. If you make our food in advance and pack it for work – you’ll be less likely to give into temptations.’
And knowing that she has supporters is what helps her to avoid those temptations.
‘The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. I am a fraction of what I used to be and it is shocking when I run into people I haven’t seen in a while,’ she said.
‘I find most people are sincerely happy for me and are proud. It’s nice to feel like I have so many supporters. I think that’s what helps me stay on track, knowing there are so many people rooting for me. I never felt like I had that before.’