I was a 22 st grandma who’d scoff “man sized” portions – now I’ve lost 7 st WITHOUT dieting & I love showing off my bod

A GRANDMOTHER has had a total transformation after losing SEVEN stone and she didn’t need to diet. 

Melanie Cameron, 53, struggled with obesity and yo-yo-dieting her whole life and tipped the scales at 24 stone 11 pounds at her heaviest. 

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Born into a family running pubs, Melanie found herself surrounded by unhealthy food choices.

This led her to have an early weight gain and a lifelong struggle with emotional eating and her appearance.

Melanie, a florist, said: "I was the only child and from the age of seven, it was Coca-Cola on tap, crisps, Mars bars, the lot.

"I was heavy at the age of seven, and even as a kid, I visited doctors who told me to go on diets.

"I was 13 stone at the age of 13, and the weight crept up every year after that."

The mother-of-three said she would start the day with good intentions, "typically two Weetabix with skimmed milk - I would only keep skimmed milk in the house".

But after a lunch of usually bread rolls and ham, she would begin snacking on cakes and biscuits before eating a "man-sized" home-cooked dinner of spaghetti bolognese, chicken curry and rice or pork chops.

Melanie, experienced some success with various diets, losing 10 stone with the Lighter Life programme to pursue an active life with her grandchildren. 

However, her weight gradually crept back up to 20 stone over the years.

"I spent my whole life wanting to be thin, to look normal and not to worry about sitting in the aeroplane seat and things like that," she said.

Melanie’s turning point came after her 50th birthday when she rediscovered her childhood love of horse riding and faced fears she might miss out on seeing her grandchildren grow up.

She said: "When I started horse riding again I found it very difficult because of my weight, and I couldn’t even run after my grandkids. I needed to lose a couple of stone."

Realising she needed a more permanent and healthy solution to her weight struggles, Melanie decided to undergo weight loss surgery at Weight Loss Riga in Latvia after seeing a friend’s results. 

"I knew somebody that went to Weight Loss Riga for bariatric surgery, a horsewoman, and she had a very successful result and looked great," Melanie said.

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"She told me, 'You'll never look back on this', and she was right. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done."

Melanie said she "hadn’t even bothered" trying to get surgery through the NHS. 

"I didn't want to jump through hoops when I had been heavy all my life," she said.

"What is the point in trying to get anything on the NHS? People can’t even get a hip replacement - so how am I going to get anything bariatric done?"

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Since undergoing gastric sleeve surgery on 14 August last year, Melanie has lost nearly seven stone and now weighs 13 stone five pounds, and has dropped to a dress size 14 from a 20. 

"My recovery was really quick," she said. "I had the operation on Monday afternoon, I was home sitting in my garden on Thursday afternoon, and I was up seeing my horse by Friday afternoon."

Since then, Melanie has continued to drop weight and says she has completely overhauled her lifestyle.

Melanie, from Lesmahagow in Lanarkshire, said: “Now, I eat because I see food as fuel.”

Her meals include protein-rich choices like Weetabix with skimmed milk for breakfast, egg omelettes, small bowls of soup for lunch, and modest portions for dinner, usually including protein like chicken or a small serving of ravioli.

As well as feeling better mentally and physically, Melanie says her horse riding has gone from strength to strength since losing weight. 

She said: "My horseriding has improved unbelievably. I’m not half as frightened either. I can ride for 45 minutes and not be puffed - and I barely sweat anymore."

Melanie's advice for those contemplating weight loss surgery is simple: "Don't overthink it, just do it."

She added: "This isn’t a diet; this is a new life you get, and you've got to live it and enjoy it.”