Kathy’s Weight Loss Journey: From Turkey to TikTok – The Truth Behind the Transformation

Hiya folks, Kathy here – or as my husband Darron likes to say, “the real boss behind Digital Nomad NI.“

So, where do I even start? I guess at the beginning. February 2020, just before the world shut down with Covid, I took myself off to Turkey and got the gastric sleeve. Looking back now, I was bloody lucky to squeeze that in. If I’d waited another few weeks, I might still be sitting here at 17 stone (or worse), stuck in the same miserable cycle I’d been in since my breakup from my first husband.

Before the surgery, I had tried everything. And I mean everything – weight-loss clubs, meal plans, you name it. Nothing worked. Nothing stuck. And I was exhausted. Not just physically, but mentally too. So I made a decision: enough was enough.

The First Six Months: Motivation and Milestones

The first week after surgery I dropped 19 pounds. No joke. And when the scales start shifting like that, the motivation kicks in. In just over two weeks, I had my first stone off. By the six-month mark, I’d lost five and a half stone. I was walking every day, pushing myself, and actually starting to believe I could get back to feeling like me again.

Then Came Menopause (and the Half-Stone Creep)

Of course, life doesn’t let you get too comfortable. Menopause hit like a bloody brick wall. Suddenly, I was putting weight back on – half a stone, all around the tummy. I felt uncomfortable in my own skin again. That creeping self-doubt came back. So I did what I knew worked: I went back to basics. I laced up the trainers and started walking again.

The Mental Battle No One Sees

Now here’s the part that doesn’t get talked about enough. Yes, I lost the weight. But I also lost my old coping mechanisms. I wasn’t using food anymore to self-soothe… so I started using alcohol. It’s sneaky, that switch. A glass of rum here, a few there – until suddenly you’re not in control anymore. And for a while, I wasn’t.

I kept it together when I was working. I’m a nurse – I know what I’m doing. But when I was off shift, it started spiralling. I was struggling. Really struggling. And it all came to a head one day when I had my coat on, keys in hand, ready to leave the house and do something I wouldn’t come back from.

The Moment Everything Changed

Darron saved me that day. He wasn’t supposed to be there. He was meant to be in the garage, but something made him come back inside. That ‘something’ is why I’m still here. I don’t know what you want to call it – fate, luck, divine intervention – but he walked in just as I was about to leave. And he saw it. He saw me.

That moment changed everything.

From Surviving to Sharing

I’ve decided to speak up about all of this – not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary. I started a TikTok account last week to share my journey: the surgery, the relapse, the grief, the mental health battles, the menopause, and yes, the healing.

I lost my sister in heartbreaking circumstances. She had the coat on. She had the keys in her hand too. But unlike me, no one walked in. And that breaks my heart. If I can stop even one person from getting to that place, then sharing my story is worth it.

What’s Next?

No more alcohol. No more silence. I’m learning to deal with life properly now – without trying to numb it. I’m even writing a book, if you can believe that! Hopefully it’ll be out later this year. And of course, Darron has roped me into more videos. I’m a ‘media personality’ now (apparently) – God help us!

Sign-up here if you want to be kept in the loop of the book’s progress.

So if you’re on TikTok, give me a wee follow: @kathymark_dnni And if you’re struggling – please know you’re not alone. You can come out the other side.

Thanks for listening.

– Kathy x