A mum lost 14 stone and was left with the "body of a 90-year-old woman" thanks to 25lb of loose skin – but men seem to love it.
Kristina Murphy, 34, weighed 26st 7lb and was a US size 30 at her heaviest after a lifelong struggle with her weight.
The mother-of-two said her diet "got out of hand" during the pandemic, and she was so heavy she couldn't even tie her shoelaces or walk up the stairs without difficulty.
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She gained a stone during lockdown and said it impacted "every aspect of her life".
In 2020 she knew she needed to turn things around in a big way.
The mum started her bariatric journey in January 2021, incorporating diet and exercise changes such as portion control and gym sessions into her lifestyle, before undergoing gastric bypass surgery on April 28, 2021.
Now weighing 12st 7lbs, Kristina is still suffering with body dysmorphia – as the weight loss left her with an estimated 20lb to 25lb worth of sagging loose skin around her stomach.
She thinks it makes her look like a "90-year-old woman", and she has to buy clothes in a US size 10-12 – two sizes bigger than her new US Size 8 – because she has to "pack a massive stomach" in.
But her self-confidence has grown since shifting 14st 4lbs, and now a lot of blokes give her attention.
Kristina, a secretary from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, said: "The skin is a massive problem, and was something I worried about before the surgery.
"I struggle with finding clothes to fit me properly because I have to pack a massive stomach into clothes.
"I’m a size eight in jeans, but I have to buy a size 10 to 12 to fit the skin, which is frustrating.
"I’m dealing with rashes on the skin regardless of how clean I am – in my bellybutton, thighs, armpits.
"It hurts when I run because it hits against itself, and it’s taken a toll on me mentally."
She added: "I feel good when I'm dressed – I can see the difference in myself and I feel beautiful, but when I’m by myself and I take my clothes off it crushes me.
"I’ve got the body of a 90-year-old woman.
"The skin all wrinkly and saggy and not where it should be.
"I haven’t fully got rid of myself – I’m stuck with my old shell of my fat body.
"I can’t move into the new me when I still have the old me hung around me.
“I was always the fat funny friend, and now guys buy me drinks and give me attention which is very weird for me."
Before she shifted the weight Kristina was stuck in a cycle of binges, diets and restriction.
She dubbed herself a "chronic dieter", as she would try all sorts and really restrict herself.
The mum was eventually diagnosed with binge eating disorder, as she would go without eating much for a week, even though she craved food.
"I would have protein shakes and salad in the week then on the weekend I would eat a whole pizza by myself and chicken wings or soft drinks," she added.
"One binge day would turn into four binge weeks.
"I would gain 10lb to 15lb from that binge episode."
Before qualifying for the surgery Kristina had to spend three months trying to lose weight through diet and exercise, as well as attending sessions with a nutritionist and psychotherapist to understand her weight difficulties on a deeper level.
Kristina said she struggled with her weight throughout her whole life, but it got "out of hand" during the pandemic.
She said her relationship with her children Kamrem, eight, and Isaiah, 10, has also been a "big motivator" to improve her health.
Now the mum is trying to figure out who she is as a person following the big transformation.
Through her weight loss journey Kristina said she has been able to reconnect with herself, and develop a new sense of self-worth.
She said: "I‘m becoming who I always was on the inside, digging her out from under my weight, which was burying who I’ve always been.
"The person who I haven’t been able to explore.
"It’s like the weight has muddled me.
"It’s been a journey to try and explore that to find myself and my light again, from little things like figuring out how to dress the new body to big things, like how do I have a healthy new relationship with food again?"
Kristina has been advised to undergo a full body lift which will cost $50,000 to $55,000 (£41,000), but she only has the insurance to cover her breasts and lower stomach.
She's now looking at other ways to try and fund the procedure.
Kristina said: "It feels like the last hurdle to transform into who I want to be.
"I’ve lost an entire person, but I struggle with body dysmorphia when I look down and still feel like the old me.
"I’m just trying make fun of some of the darkness we’re going through.
"I’ve lost the weight but not my sense of humour."
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