{"id":149248,"date":"2025-06-01T10:47:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T10:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/149248\/"},"modified":"2025-06-01T10:47:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T10:47:14","slug":"mum-branded-fatty-natty-sheds-9st-and-says-im-glad-fat-jabs-werent-around-for-me-id-pick-my-way-every-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/149248\/","title":{"rendered":"Mum branded \u2018Fatty Natty\u2019 sheds 9st and says \u2018I\u2019m glad fat jabs weren\u2019t around for me – I\u2019d pick my way every time\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

WHEN Natalie Welsh\u2019s boyfriend proposed to her on top of the Empire State Building there was one thought running around her mind – she didn\u2019t want to be a fat bride.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For most of her life, the 37-year-old had struggled with her weight<\/a>, and recalls being nicknamed \u2018Fatty Natty\u2019 by school bullies.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Pregnant<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

Natalie Welsh, nicknamed ‘Fatty Natty’ at school, weighed 16 stone at her heaviestCredit: Natalie Welsh\"Portrait<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

After her partner Darren proposed to her she knew she didn’t want to be a fat brideCredit: Natalie Welsh\"Woman<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

Natalie opted for weight loss surgery, which saw 85 per cent of her stomach removedCredit: Natalie Welsh<\/p>\n

But as soon as she said \u2018yes\u2019 she knew there was no way she was going to get married<\/a> looking like Fatty Natty.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I had to take action,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Natalie embarked on her weight loss<\/a> journey before fat jabs became available, but says she wouldn\u2019t have chosen them as a way to lose weight, preferring the surgery<\/a> she had instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad I had the surgery, as it was the best option for me, and I would pick that again over the jabs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201c85 per cent of my stomach was removed during the operation, which meant I wouldn\u2019t be able to slip back into my old habits and pile the weight back on again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe jabs are an accessible way to lose weight for some people, who may not be able to have weight loss surgery.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSurgery isn\u2019t an easy option, but it was a permanent one, which I felt suited me best.\u201d<\/p>\n

And her decision certainly paid off. As she managed to walk down the aisle on her wedding day to marry partner Darren eight stone lighter.<\/p>\n

\u201cDarren said I looked incredible when he saw me in my wedding dress\u00a0 – he\u2019d told me that many times before, but for the first time ever, I believed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Natalie\u2019s battle with her weight began when she was just eight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I wanted to lose a few pounds so hopped on the fat jab trend – 4 days in it’s not worth it, the side effects are awful<\/p>\n

\u201cI would hide away in the playground eating my sandwich and hoping no-one would spot me,\u2019 she remembers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut then someone would shout across the playground \u2018Alright Fatty Natty\u2019, and I\u2019d turn crimson with embarrassment. <\/p>\n

“The nickname followed me all through primary school and into secondary too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sweet tooth and lack of portion control<\/a> were my downfalls, along with a habit of snacking.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time she was 15, Natalie, who lives in Grimsby, Lincolnshire<\/a>, weighed a hefty 16 stone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Determined that others wouldn\u2019t suffer like she did, she decided to become a teacher, and show them that looks didn\u2019t matter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

I\u2019d find a diet, shed a few stone and feel great. But then I\u2019d treat myself to a takeaway for tea, or scoff a packet of biscuits after a bad day, and the weight I\u2019d lost would just pile back on<\/p>\n

Natalie Welsh<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But she still wanted to be a healthy role model and tried to diet, but nothing worked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d find a diet, shed a few stone and feel great. But then I\u2019d treat myself to a takeaway for tea, or scoff a packet of biscuits after a bad day, and the weight I\u2019d lost would just pile back on.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was still yo-yoing when I started working as a primary school teacher at the age of 22. I was a size 20 and weighed 17 stone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI would teach PE and I\u2019d be wobbling all over, as I demonstrated star jumps. <\/p>\n

“I could still hear all those taunts of \u2018Fatty Natty\u2019 in my head. No matter what I did, I just couldn\u2019t stick to a diet<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

After having son Harry in July 2017 she ballooned even more, and then after giving birth to daughter Ella in October 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She was self conscious about her size when she started dating<\/a> partner Darren, 44, in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe would tell me I looked great, but I didn\u2019t feel it,\u201d she confessed. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy weight was stopping me from being the mum I wanted to be. I couldn\u2019t follow the kids around on the soft play. I was too big to go up the slide after Harry and I could feel the other parents staring at me as I tried to get him to come down.\u201d<\/p>\n

New York state of mind\"Couple<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

Darren proposed to Natalie during a romantic trip to New York in February 2023Credit: Natalie Welsh\"Woman<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

She was in pain after the surgery, but she just kept thinking about the new life she was going to haveCredit: Natalie Welsh\"Woman<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

Natalie now weighs a much slimmer 9 stone 10Credit: Natalie Welsh\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

7<\/p>\n

The couple got married in Gretna Green, and she wore a size eight wedding dressCredit: Natalie Welsh<\/p>\n

Darren whisked Natalie away on a romantic trip to New York<\/a> in February 2023, and proposed to her on top of the Empire State Building.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She was thrilled, but knew that she had to take drastic action. She decided that diets hadn\u2019t worked in the past, so decided to have a gastric sleeve operation, where doctors would remove 85 per cent of her stomach. She found a clinic in Turkey<\/a>, and spent \u00a32600 on the operation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cI was in pain afterwards, but it didn\u2019t matter. I just thought about the new life I was going to have. I was going to be able to chase after Harry in the playground, and marry Darren in a slinky wedding dress.\u201d<\/p>\n

She ate tiny portions, as it was all she could manage, and began losing weight fast. <\/p>\n

In six months, she had lost five stone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And by May last year, she had lost eight stone, weighing a much slimmer 9 stone 10.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The couple got married in Gretna Green, and she wore a size eight wedding dress.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cI felt fantastic on my wedding day – it was Fatty Natty no more. The kids love having a mum who can do more with them. And I still teach the kids at school that kindness counts, but I\u2019m also the healthy role model that I always wanted to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Different types of weight loss surgery<\/p>\n

For many people who are overweight or obese, they may feel they have exhausted options for weight loss and want to try something more drastic.<\/p>\n

Weight loss surgery may be available to them on the NHS if they have a BMI over 40 and have a condition that may be improved with weight loss, such as diabetes.<\/p>\n

But the availability of these procedures largely depends on where you live in the UK. People can also pay privately.<\/p>\n

Weight loss surgery is a common and safe procedure. However, as with any operation, there are risks, such as a blood clot, a band slipping out of place, a stomach infection, gallstones and excessive skin from weight loss that in most cases, won\u2019t be removed on the NHS.<\/p>\n

In all of the following options, the space in the stomach is reduced, therefore a person feels fuller after eating less food. They lose weight as a result.<\/p>\n

However, it is necessary for them to also learn good eating habits and have a healthy balanced diet, too.<\/p>\n

Gastric bypass<\/strong><\/p>\n

The stomach is divided into two using a staple. The smaller part is connected to the intestines, effectively cutting how much space there is in the stomach by half.<\/p>\n

The operation takes around two hours.<\/p>\n

Gastric band<\/strong><\/p>\n

A band is tied around the top of the stomach and inflated so that it tightens.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The operation takes three to four hours.<\/p>\n

Gastric balloon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Patients swallow an empty balloon which is attached to a tube.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The balloon is filled with water via the tube, taking around 20 minutes, so that it fills around two-thirds of the stomach space.<\/p>\n

Sleeve gastrectomy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Around 80 per cent of the stomach is removed in surgery to make it much smaller and a sleeve shape.<\/p>\n

The operation takes between one and three hours.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WHEN Natalie Welsh\u2019s boyfriend proposed to her on top of the Empire State Building there was one thought…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":149249,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[443,105,460,8307,16,15,446],"class_list":{"0":"post-149248","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-diet-nutrition-and-weight-loss","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-operations-and-surgery","11":"tag-section-wellnessdiet-nutrition","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-weight-loss-success-stories"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114607714822801583","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149248"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149248\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}