Woman who lost 120lbs raising money for loose skin surgery

A woman who has successfully lost 120 pounds is trying to raise money for a $6,000 skin removal surgery via a GoFundMe page. 

Administrative assistant, Jessica Wallace-Whitfield, 28, from Freeport in The Bahamas, weighed 297 pounds when she embarked on her weight loss journey and was a size 24 to 28.

When she lost her aunt to heart disease, she knew that if she didn’t overhaul her diet, she would face a similar fate. 

New woman: Jessica now weighs 177lbs after losing 120lbs in just 18 months

Transformation: Jessica Wallace-Whitfield, 28, from Freeport in The Bahamas has lost 120lbs since 2014, pictured left before and right after

Cashing in: The administrative assistant is now trying to raise money to pay for $6,000 surgery to remove the loose skin she's been left with  via a GoFundMe page

Cashing in: The administrative assistant is now trying to raise money to pay for $6,000 surgery to remove the loose skin she’s been left with via a GoFundMe page

Junk food addict: Jessica, pictured before her transformation, says she used to eat whatever she wanted

Family values: After losing her aunt to heart disease, Jessica (pictured after her weight loss) forced her to consider her own health

Junk food addict: Jessica says she used to eat lots of junk food (pictured left before her weight loss and right, after) but losing her aunt to heart disease forced her to consider her own health

Fighter: Jessica underwent an arm life in 2016 but says she now wants more surgery to remove the excess skin on her stomach and thighs

Fighter: Jessica underwent an arm life in 2016 but says she now wants more surgery to remove the excess skin on her stomach and thighs

Culture: Jessica also says eating is a big part of the culture in The Bahamas and she never felt her bad habits were wrong 

Culture: Jessica also says eating is a big part of the culture in The Bahamas and she never felt her bad habits were wrong 

‘What finally pushed me to lose weight was losing my aunt to heart disease,’ she revealed. ‘It was very sudden and unexpected, to the rest of us, she seemed quite healthy.

‘A few years before that, we lost two uncles in the same way. I realized that even those who seemed healthy were at risk and I was approaching three-hundred-pounds at five-foot-two; I had to do something.’

Admitting she comes from a family of food lovers, she says she used to indulge in ‘anything and everything’.   

‘I just like bad food. The first time I lived on my own was when my weight got out of control,’ Jessica said of her lifestyle before losing weight.

‘I was able to eat whatever I wanted without anyone voicing their opinion. So, I ate fast food for basically every meal.’ 

In February 2014, she decided to clean up her diet by buying only healthy food so she wouldn’t be tempted by the junk food she used to live on, and added vigorous exercise sessions of cardio and weight lifting to her routine.

‘I cut out carbohydrates and sugar completely, drank loads of water and did very light exercise; every day. It started with walking every day after work, swimming when I could, and I eventually walked into a gym and began using some of the machinery.

‘It took me a while to muster up the courage to approach the free weights, but eventually I started lifting.’ 

Diet tips: Jessica cut out carbs and started an exercise program to kick start her weight loss

Diet tips: Jessica cut out carbs and started an exercise program to kick start her weight loss

Discomfort: At her heaviest, Jessica says she used to find simple things like shopping exhausting

Easy peasy: Jessica now finds everyday tasks easy to complete

Discomfort: At her heaviest (left), Jessica says she used to find simple things like shopping exhausting but now (right) finds every day tasks easy

Proud: Jessica says her scars serve as a reminder for how far she's come 

Proud: Jessica says her scars serve as a reminder for how far she’s come 

Through hard work and dedication, she is now a voluptuous 177 pounds and fits into a size four to six in clothes, and says she’s now more confident than ever. 

In August 2016, she underwent an arm lift but was left with loose skin on her abdomen and thighs and although she has visible scars, says they serve as a reminder of how far she’s come. 

‘The brachioplasty was nothing short of life changing and even though the remaining skin is something I’m self-conscious of, I’ve made every attempt to embrace it,’ she wrote on her GoFundMe page. 

‘As much as I want it gone it does also serve as a reminder of how far I’ve come, and for that I’m thankful. When it’s removed, the scars will serve as this reminder.’

And this confidence has already had a big effect on her quality of life: ‘I was always quite a shy person, so I didn’t expect to change much after losing weight, but looking back I was definitely a lot more self-conscious than I am now.

‘It was always at the back of my mind, whether it was clothing related, hiding my body, or worrying about fitting into certain seats; it was a constant thing that I had to consider. I feel much more free and confident now.’ 

New woman: Jessica, pictured just after her arm lift, says there were days when it was tough to keep going

Guns out:  On low days, she forced herself to focus on how far she'd come, pictured here after her arm lift

New woman: Jessica, pictured just after her arm lift and right, fully recovered, says there were days when it was tough to keep going but she forced herself to focus on how far she’d come

Self love: She also revealed that her confidence has improved since losing the weight and didn't realize it until after she reached her goal 

Self love: She also revealed that her confidence has improved since losing the weight and didn’t realize it until after she reached her goal 

Goals: Jessica (pictured left before her weight loss) says she is now focused on a balanced diet

Cheat meals: Jessica says the key to her weight loss was changing things up and allowing cheat meals when her weight started to plateau

Goals: Jessica now allows herself cheat meals and believes changing things up and not cutting out whole food groups is essential for keeping the weight off  

She also revealed that even simple things like sitting down and shopping are much easier now than when she was bigger as everyday tasks required lots of planning and often left her feeling exhausted. 

However, Jessica’s remaining loose skin causes her discomfort, and she hopes to remove it by surgery.

In the meantime, she isn’t letting her loose skin hold her back and is committed to maintaining her healthier lifestyle.  

She has recently allowed carbohydrates back into her diet and now that she’s maintaining her weight, is focused on having a balanced diet rather than cutting out whole food groups. 

‘I make sure to eat as healthy as possible day to day so that if a treat opportunity arises, I can enjoy it without feeling guilty,’ she added. 

‘Most importantly though, you know your body better than anyone else on this planet and people will have many opinions on it; take all of those opinions with a grain of salt and do what you feel is best.’



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