I don’t think any of us would deny only the fact that life can be difficult at times. The stress that we face affects all of us differently, and some people may turn to food in order to find comfort.
The unfortunate problem with this type of comfort eating is the fact that it can take a toll on your health if it’s not kept in check. For some, it may even go beyond what would normally happen.
One person who experienced this problem to the extreme is Ashley Bratcher. The 27-year-old mother from Texas began putting on weight and continued to eat whatever unhealthy food she could to get rid of her emotional pain.
She was experiencing stress because her mother had abandoned her and her siblings when they were young. Eating was a way for her to comfort herself, but it turned out very badly for her.
She said: “If my mother had been paying attention I think she could’ve changed a lot of stuff that was going on. As the oldest one, I felt like I had to protect my brother and sister because they were really little. So I let it happen to me, so it wouldn’t happen to them.”
When she weighed in at 725 pounds, she knew that enough was enough and she needed to do something about it. She applied for the TLC show, My 600-Lb Life.
Not only was she on the show, she was also put in touch with one of the best weight loss surgeons in the business, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan. He has helped many people to change their eating habits and get control of their lives when they have such a problem.
Ashley was told upfront that she would not live past the age of 30 if she continued with that lifestyle. She knew that she had to take charge, and she was in bad shape.
In 2016 when she was on the show, she said that she couldn’t even do simple things. Her 5-year-old son would help her with everything she needed.
In other words, she wasn’t just making changes for herself, she was doing so for her son. It was time for her gastric bypass surgery but before she could have it, she had to prove that she was willing to make a change.
She was able to lose 123 pounds and then had a successful surgery. Afterward, she had lost 255 pounds and was able to begin taking control. She said: “This whole journey has been not only a physical rollercoaster, it’s been very a much an emotional rollercoaster.”
More recently, she appeared on the show, My 600-Lb Life – Where Are They Now? That was in 2018, and she shared that she weighed under 300 pounds.
Not only did she have a healthier relationship with food, she was building back up her self-confidence and could do things that she had done in the past, from taking long showers to shopping.
She also helps to inspire others by sharing pictures on her social media account. She speaks about how surgery is a tool but you have to change your own mindset.
We are so thankful that she was able to make this change and we wish her many more years of success.
