A nurse who wanted to be a “role model” for her patients lost 14 stone after her weight forced her to “limp home” after working gruelling 13-hour shifts.
Rosie Whitney, 30, who struggled with binge eating, weighed 27st 12lbs and wore a size 28 at her heaviest.
She was doing her internship as a nursing student when she realised it was time for a change, and now feels like herself at a size 12, having undergone gastric bypass surgery.
Rosie, from Grantham, Nottingham, had been struggling to stay on her feet during 13-hour shifts and suffered “heart palpitations” which left her worried for her wellbeing.
The situation had become so bad that Rosie needed her partner, Lewis, 28, to help her take off her shoes.
Rosie Whitney (pictured) lost 14st 10lbs thanks to gastric bypass surgery. She went from a size 28 to a size 12 over the course of a year.
The 30-year-old nurse decided to take drastic measures after her weight forced her to “limp home” after long shifts.
After years of yo-yo dieting, Rosie decided it was time for drastic measures and flew to Turkey to undergo the procedure which cost £4,200.
The surgery was successful and Rosie lost most of the weight within a year.
After losing 14st 10lbs, she now weighs 13st 3lbs and wears a size 12 dress.
Rosie, who has since qualified as a nurse, is “proud” of her weight loss and is able to stand for long shifts without any problems.
“I really had a hard time standing up straight,” he revealed.
‘I was on my feet for 13 hours and limped home.
‘I remember coming home and my boyfriend taking my shoes off. I couldn’t do anything.
‘I was trying to be a role model even though I myself was not healthy.
Before losing the weight, Rosie’s partner Lewis had to help her take off her shoes when she got home.
“I wanted to help people, that was my goal. How can I help if I can’t walk without getting out of breath?
“If I had to run out in an emergency, how would I do it? It was my experience as a nurse that allowed me to keep things in perspective.”
Rosie had slowly gained weight over the years from overeating and said she was “greedy.”
“I had eaten myself unconscious,” he said.
He did not stick to meal times, instead eating unhealthy snacks such as takeaway food, crisps and sausage rolls throughout the day.
Rosie, from Grantham, Nottingham, who struggled with binge eating, tried dieting but was never able to keep the weight off.
Rosie had tried several diets over the years, but always gained back the weight she had lost and more.
She began to worry about her health as she struggled to keep up with her shifts during her placement in early 2022.
“I had heart palpitations,” she admitted. “I was worried about my health.”
Rosie considered having surgery, but wanted to try one more time to lose weight on her own.
She managed to lose four stone before she ‘failed’ and began to gain the weight back.
After much research, Rosie flew to the Mediterranean Weight Loss Clinic in Mersin, Turkey to undergo surgery in August 2022.
The surgery was successful and the weight came off within a year, but Rosie struggled with body dysphoria.
At her heaviest, Rosie weighed 125kg and 5.5kg and struggled to keep up with her shifts as a student nurse.
He explained that he was suffering from heart palpitations and would not have been able to run in an emergency.
After losing weight, Rosie has no trouble getting through her long shifts and often hits the gym after a day at work.
Despite being left with seven pounds of loose skin, Rosie feels happy and confident in her new body.
She said: ‘Everyone was saying how amazing I looked, but when I looked in the mirror I still thought I was really big.
‘People who had known me for years didn’t recognise me when I walked down the street.’
But Rosie now feels “confident” about her body, despite being left with seven pounds of loose skin, which she hopes to remove in the future.
“I prefer to have loose skin and be healthy,” she explained. “I’m happy with the size I am now. I feel healthy and I have more confidence.”
Rosie no longer has trouble standing during her nursing shifts and eats a healthy, balanced diet, but she still wears her old size 28 scrubs.
“I can fit two in there,” he said. “The other day I did a 13-hour shift and then ran 5K at the gym.
‘I can be an inspiration to people. I’m very proud of myself. I feel like myself again.
‘Back then I was just a shadow of myself. That ruined me.
“Now I am happy and confident.”
