A woman who lost a staggering 210lbs (15 stone) in weight says that while she’s never felt happier about the way she looks, she’s been left horrified at the online reaction to her slimmer frame.
Following a vertical sleeve gastrectomy earlier this year, Jessica Weber, 24, from Peru, Illinois, dropped from 392lbs (28 stone) to just 182lbs (13 stone) and decided to share images of her transforming physique online.
However, cruel bullies soon targeted her over the folds of loose skin that have been left around her waist.
Jessica Weber, from Peru, Illinois, had been happy to share her weight-loss story online, documenting how she lost almost half of her bodyweight. Once tipping the scales at 392lbs (28 stone), she’s now a slimmer 182lbs (13 stone) but trolls have reacted cruelly to the excess weight that she’s been left with
‘I felt lost, like I was just eating to die’: The pretty brunette reveals that the moment she saw her mother break down in tears over her weight was the moment she knew she had to do something about it – and in January, she underwent weight-loss surgery
Transformed! Jessica is delighted that she’s lost weight (seen left at her heaviest) but says she hates that body-shaming trolls have targeted her candid approach to how her body looks now, right
Jessica started gaining weight when she was just nine-years-old and by the time she was 22, she tipped the scales at 383lbs (27 stone).
On what sparked her weight-loss, Jessica says she realised ‘enough was enough’ while at her heaviest, 392lbs (28 stone), after watching her mother break down in tears saying she was scared that her daughter would die.
She reveals: ‘I felt lost, like I was just eating to die. I used to get made fun of growing up in school.
‘I remember I stopped riding the school bus because this one girl would be so mean to me.
‘I wasn’t even at my heaviest weight then; it got better, but I still felt like people still judged me.”
The 24-year-old Walmart worker, who loss the pounds after undergoing weight-loss surgery in January this year, now followers a healthy diet and exercise plan.
She says: ‘Although my health was fine – doctors were surprised that I didn’t have diabetes or sleep apnea.
‘But they wanted me to have the surgery to prevent that from happening. Basically my stomach was cut into the size of a banana and I can only eat 4 ounces of food each meal time.
Jessica before she shed the pounds: At her heaviest, the Illinois woman said she felt ‘lost’ and that she was consuming food to ‘die’, a prospect that terrified her mother
Honesty: Trolls have been targeting Jessica on social media since she revealed how her remarkable weight loss has left her with a pile of loose skin
The Walmart worker now hopes to reach her target weight of 160lbs and undergo surgery to remove the skin she’s been left with around her abdomen
‘With this I now just eat super healthy. Mainly protein and veggies and fruit. No starches or liquid calories.’
She added: ‘It’s completely changed my life so far and I’m excited to continue the process.’
She hopes to go under the knife again to have the excess flesh surgically removed but has been left deeply shocked by taunts from trolls, who told her that they would kill themselves if they ‘looked like her’.
I get comments saying to kill myself because my skin is disgusting. That’s not okay, no matter what anyone looks like…
Through candid photos, Weber showed off her new slimmer physique both clothed and wearing underwear.
Despite dropping from a US size 28 (UK size 32) to a size 10 (UK size 14), Jessica says the bullies have focused solely on the loose skin that she now has around her middle third.
She explains: ‘I get comments saying to kill myself because my skin is disgusting.
‘That’s not okay, no matter what anyone looks like it’s not okay to tell someone to kill themselves just because they aren’t happy in themselves.
‘Happy people don’t go around putting down other people’.
Ready to go under the knife: Jessica hopes surgery to cut away the excess weightwill complete her weight-loss journey. She says cruel comments from social media users about her new look are ‘not okay’
Jessica says that she followed a very simple diet plan which focused on eating low carbs and high protein.
She says: ‘Get a meal plan. If you fail to plan, then plan to fail!
‘Plan out every meal, have healthy snacks ready so when you go to the fridge you know to grab your meals and not be tempted to order pizza or go through a fast food joint – that’s my best tip!’
And in the gym, Jessica also spent lots of time doing cardio to tone up her body.
Jessica says that in spite of the trolls, she has now become a confident, loving woman who wants to inspire others with her weight-shedding story.
Plan those meals! Healthy eating has also been the key to Jessica’s success and she says she now wants to inspire others to follow her lead
Strength: Jessica says she now tackles life in a whole new way and cherishes every moment
When it comes to having her loose skin removed, her aim is to achieve her goal weight of 160lbs (11.5 stone) before she embarks upon it.
The Walmart employee says that she now feels stronger both physically and mentally and tackles life in a whole new way.
‘I don’t settle for anything from friends, to everyday life activities.
‘I don’t waste time on things. I think its important to know who you are and losing weight made me realise that I don’t have to take anything in life that I don’t want’.