me

I can't remember ever being less than a size 18 (I would have been when I was at school) but over the years it just kept going up and up.

When I was 19 the doctor gave me these amazing tablets which took me from size 18 to size 12. I'm sure they must have been amphetamines, back in the 70's diet pills had amphetamines in them. Anyway it wasn't long after taking these tablets that I was back to a size 18 and onwards and upwards I went.

Weight watchers, I lost about 15 kilos. Then I had kids and the next thing I knew, I was a size 24. Off to Jenny Craig. This was in the early days of Jenny Craig, I hated the food, so ate nothing. Don't know how I did it, but I lost about 20 kilo's and felt fabulous to get down to a size 18.

Of course as soon as Jenny Craig finished, back came the weight. I was starving myself. I guess my body went into survival mode. When I did eat, my body hung onto it, just incase there was another famine. It was a vicious cycle, starve, eat, get bigger.

All this time I was playing a lot of sport, up to 5 hours a day. Then I had an injury which put a stop to my tennis career! I then started going to Theogenes and swimming 2 hours a day as well as doing three aqua fitness classes a week. At this time I was also trying to live on Lean Cuisine.

Then depression set in and before long I was busting out of the Size 32 clothes I was wearing...

• some 'before' and 'after' pics ....

This is how I looked after I lost 40 kilo's (below)

I may have gained some temporary kilo's back since this pic was taken - but I know, without the surgery, I would be much much bigger now than my 'before' photo

(Below): Here are some current photos - taken in 2011 (after my 17 kilo gain)

The pic of me in the 'high-vis' was taken on an underground mine tour, I was especially thrilled that the belt for the 're-breather' fitted around my waist YAY!