A woman who lost nine stone in a year after gastric sleeve surgery says strangers accused her husband of "controlling" her meals – due to her restrictive diet.<br /><br />Hayley Lees, 31, piled on weight after she blamed herself for an ectopic pregnancy and was 20st and a size 22 at her heaviest.<br /><br />She would eat a takeaway every night, gorge on family size bags of crisps and didn't exercise.<br /><br />Hayley was desperate for a baby but felt she needed to lose weight to fall pregnant and was finally accepted for a gastric sleeve - where a large part of the stomach is removed so it's much smaller than it was before - in August 2022.<br /><br />She had the operation in July 2023 on the NHS and despite regretting it at first she now says it is the “best thing” she has done.<br /><br />In just 12 months, Hayley has dropped to 10st 13lbs and is a size 10.<br /><br />She now has a restrictive diet and finds herself only able to eat starter sized portions due to her smaller stomach.<br /><br />She says her husband, Adam, 39, a production manager, has been supportive throughout but has struggled with strangers thinking he is “controlling” Hayley’s portion sizes at restaurants - as she will only order a starter and struggle to finish it.<br /><br />Hayley, who works in a contract support and lives near Halifax, West Yorkshire, said: “My husband struggles because people think he is controlling me and telling me what I can and can’t eat. <br /><br />“People stare at you.<br /><br />"When I go out to eat it's the waiters - they look at you funny.<br /><br />"In Greece - they said in Greek 'I think she is getting abused'.<br /><br />"Once I had a woman who was going to go for a dessert and because I said I was full she refused to get one. She'd looked at me as if to think I'm smaller than her so I shouldn't be eating more.<br /><br />“Now when I go to a restaurant I tell them I have had weight loss surgery and ask for a doggy bag.<br /><br />“Adam has been so supportive. He has seen me blossom.<br /><br />“Now I feel a lot happier. People don’t recognise me.<br /><br />“I’m a totally different person.”<br /><br />Adam said: "The first time we went out we sat down and the waiter came over. I ordered a main meal and fizzy coke and Hayley ordered a side of mash.<br /><br />"He gave me a look like he was accusing me of controlling what she was eating and drinking.<br /><br />"He kept asking 'do you want anything else?'<br /><br />"It's not nice. It made me paranoid that I was getting looked at for what she ate as at this point she hadn't lost that much weight.<br /><br />"I worried it looked like I was forcing her into having a diet.<br /><br />"It's not just a quick trip to hospital to have your stomach removed."<br /><br />Hayley had always been a “yo yo dieter” but found herself piling on the weight after struggling with an ectopic pregnancy in July 2019.<br /><br />She said: “It spiralled out of control.<br /><br />“I blamed myself.<br /><br />“I wasn’t a nice person.<br /><br />“I remember because I blamed myself I packed a bag and walked to the train station.<br /><br />“Adam had to follow me to check I was OK.<br /><br />“We could have broken up but he was so loving.”
