‘I lost 81kg so I could become a mum’

ERIN Azzopardi had been overweight since childhood and was told she would die before her 30th birthday.

A MORBIDLY obese woman who was told she would die before her 30th birthday has shed half her body weight to have her dream baby.

Erin Azzopardi weighed 170kg when was warned by doctors that if her eating habits continued that she would not be alive to celebrate her 30th birthday.

At the time, the now 29-year-old from Leongatha in Victoria’s Gippsland region, could only wear handmade size 28 clothes that were shipped in from overseas.

But the nutrition student shed an incredible 81kg and dropped six dress sizes. She has lost enough weight to fulfil her lifelong dream of being a mother to her son Oliver, seven months.

Ms Azzopardi feels more confident than ever, flaunting her brand new 89kg, size 14 figure after undergoing lifesaving lap-band surgery in June 2014.

She said: “I’ll never forget that feeling of being told I’d be dead before 30 and that I’d never be able to have children.

“My whole world felt like it had come crashing down. I just burst into tears.

“I nearly gave up. I went home and as usual, comfort ate tons of food because I was so depressed.

“I felt so lost. But then it just hit me about two weeks later.

“All I’d ever wanted was to be a mother, and I knew if I kept going the way I was going that was never going to happen.

Erin Azzopardi weighed 170kg at her heaviest. Picture: Caters News

Ms Azzopardi said she didn’t feel like a ‘beautiful bride’ because of her weight. Picture: Caters News.

“I tried all different types of diets, but nothing seemed to work. So I decided to look into weight loss surgery.

“I got a referral from my doctor and eventually had the lap band procedure a few weeks later.

“It was the best decision I’ve ever made. I lost 40kg in the first six months after the surgery, and the weight just kept coming off after that.

“Now I can plan my 30th birthday without fearing I won’t be here to celebrate with my family and friends, it’s amazing.”

Erin said her food addiction stemmed from childhood, when she would steal treats from the kitchen after everyone went to bed, so she could binge eat in private.

Erin needed her wedding dress specially made as none in the stores were big enough to fit — something that further dented her confidence.

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And despite her wedding day in 2011 being ‘the best day of her life’, the mum said that her weight was constantly on her mind — and that she didn’t feel like a ‘beautiful bride’.

She said: “I’ve always been overweight even as a child. We used to have sweets in the house, but we were not allowed to touch them.

“They became this forbidden thing and I think it really skewed my relationship with food. I’d go and sneak all the junk food when my parents were asleep.

“I was mercilessly teased throughout my entire school life for being fat. I was 70kg in primary school, and then got up to over 100kg in high school. I just ballooned from there.

Doctors told Ms Azzopardi that she would die if she didn’t lose the weight. Picture: Caters News.

“One of my worst memories was trying to look for a wedding dress. They didn’t have anything in my size in stores, so I had to take my mother-in-law in with me, so she could try them on.

“She would put the dresses on and I’d have to make a decision based on that. And then they had something specially made for me. It was humiliating.

“The shop assistants were so rude too. They didn’t want to help me because of my size, even though I was prepared to put down thousands on a wedding dress.

“It was still the best day of my life, but I didn’t feel comfortable. I want to redo my wedding photos sometime in the future.”

Erin’s bariatric surgery involves implanting a silicone device around the top portion of the stomach to make it smaller so that a person’s food intake is dramatically decreased.

After having the operation, she and her husband Robbie, 30, tried for two years to have children — but the pregnancy tests kept coming back negative.

And after seeing a fertility specialist, Erin discovered that her husband suffered from a rare condition called Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia that rendered him infertile.

Erin also suffered from polycystic ovarian syndrome, which made natural conception nearly impossible.

After dealing with this devastating blow, the couple decided that IVF with a sperm donor would be their best option for starting a family.

And on their first attempt at IVF Erin fell pregnant with their son Oliver who was born this January 2018.

Ms Azzopardi made the decision to undergo lap band surgery and has since fulfilled her dream of having a baby. Picture: Caters News.

Erin said: “I always longed to be a mother and have a big family. Robbie always wanted to be a father too, so it was really hard on both of us to be faced with all these fertility problems.

“It broke us completely when we found out Robbie was infertile. But we eventually came to grips with it and decided IVF and donor sperm would be the best option.

“I’m so grateful and happier than ever to be a mother. I’d like to become an egg donor one day so I can give something back to people in need.

“It’s hard to believe just a few years ago I was told I’d be dead before 30 and never have kids.

“Now I’m healthy and blessed with a child.”

Erin eats a low-carb diet of lean protein and healthy fresh fruits and vegetable, while she also works out six times a week at her local gym, focusing on weights and light cardio.

The mum is thinking about getting skin removal surgery in the future to achieve the body of her dreams.

Erin Azzopardi has lost 81kg in total. Picture: Caters News.

She said: “I’m so active and alive. My diet has completely changed, and I feel so healthy.

“I have a lot of excess skin, but I plan to have surgery within the next two years to remove it.

“Losing the weight was the best decision I ever made. I feel better than I ever have.

“I have a long way to go but I’m excited for what the future holds.”

BEFORE DIET

Breakfast: McDonalds, burgers or left over pizza (1000 calories)

Mid-morning Snack: Sausage rolls and chocolate (600 calories)

Lunch: Hungry Jack’s takeaway meal (1000 calories)

Afternoon snack: Chips and lollies (500 calories)

Dinner: Huge portions of homemade meals e.g. chicken schnitzels, pasta or stir fry (1000 calories)

Dessert: Ice cream and chocolate (600 calories)

Drinks: Soft drinks throughout the day (700 calories)

TOTAL: 5,400 calories a day

AFTER DIET

Breakfast: Protein shake (250 calories)

Mid-morning Snack: Fruit or some nuts (200 calories)

Lunch: Salad with vegetables and protein (450 calories)

Dinner: Protein with vegetables (500 calories)

Drinks: Water or herbal teas (0 calories)

TOTAL: 1,400 calories a day