An obese woman who was branded a pig by her ex-husband got the ultimate revenge by quitting her $1,000 a-month snack habit and losing half her body weight.
Translator Sandy Jones, 46, from, New York City, said she started overeating to cope with the emotional toll of her physically and verbally abusive ex-husband.
She would binge and purge on snack food to get her through the day – spending $50 a-day and more than $1,000 a-month on snacks alone.
At her peak, she weighed almost 300 pounds and ate 4,000 calories daily.
Sandy would ensure to eat a socially acceptable amount in the company of others, but when she went home, she would secretly binge on snacks all night.
An obese wife who was branded a pig by her ex got revenge by quitting her $1,000-a-month snack habit and losing half her weight. She’s pictured before (left) and after (right)
Sandy Jones from, New York City, said she started overeating to cope with the emotional toll of her physically and verbally abusive ex-husband. She is pictured before her weight loss
At her peak, she weighed almost 300 pounds and ate 4,000 calories daily – spending $50 a-day on snacks alone. She is pictured before (left) and after (right) the weight loss
It became so bad that she said it was hard to get out of bed in the morning, and that even doing daily tasks were huge undertakings – like showering and tying her shoes.
She also developed diabetes and high blood pressure, and Sandy explained that she began to hate herself and the way she looked.
But when she and her husband became estranged after several deployments with the US Army, she eventually decided to turned her life around.
They divorced in 2007; after which, he went on to marry someone younger and slimmer.
For five years after her divorce, Sandy became a hermit in her house and barely left. She had no social life – or the confidence to pursue one.
But in 2019, while attending a translators’ conference, she was interviewed by a big NYC tech company, and a picture taken during the interview was used as promotional material for their campaign.
When Sandy saw that photo, which was circulating everywhere, she realized that she no longer recognized herself and had to make a change.
She scheduled a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in August 2020 and had 80 per cent of her stomach removed.
It became so bad she could hardly get out of bed, and even doing daily tasks were huge undertakings – like showering and tying her shoes. She is pictured before (left) and after (right) the weight loss
She also developed diabetes and high blood pressure, and said she began to hate herself. She is pictured before (left) and after (right) the weight loss
Her and her husband divorced in 2007 but for several years, she lived as a hermit – barely leaving her house or pursuing a social life of any kind. She is pictured before (left) and after (right) the weight loss
In 2019, while attending a work conference, a photo of her (pictured) was used as promotional material for a campaign. And when Sandy saw it, she said she didn’t recognize herself
That’s when she decided to turn her life around. She scheduled a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in August 2020 and had 80 per cent of her stomach removed. She is pictured before the surgery
After the surgery, she lost a whopping 125 pounds; to maintain that loss, she started running and has now competed in two national 5K races. She is pictured before (left) and after (right) the weight loss
She has lost a whopping 125 pounds in the process; to maintain that loss, she started running and has now competed in two national 5K races.
‘My life re-defining moment was in 2019 when I saw this picture of myself with the little pink purse at my feet,’ said Sandy.
‘I no longer recognized myself, and I knew I had to make a change.
‘I went to a consultation with a bariatric surgeon in New York City and decided to have weight loss surgery.
‘It was a major step as prior to that intellectually I knew that my weight had become a serious issue.
‘I was diabetic and had high blood pressure, my life was at risk because of my lifestyle choices.
‘But binging and purging had been an effective and long relied on coping mechanism for me.
‘It started during my marriage, I had gotten married really young in 1999 when I was 23.
‘I started overeating and gaining weight in my 30s, to deal with the emotional trauma of my ex-husband’s physical and verbal abuse.
‘He would become worse, and get really aggressive and yell at me to stop eating like a pig.
‘However, the more he yelled at me the more I ate, it’s not like it was that easy to get me to stop eating.’
Sandy believes that her weight loss surgery has saved her life, and her outlook on the world and herself has transformed completely.
‘I hated myself prior to my surgery, I hated everything about my body and my life,’ she said.
‘Everything was hard. I couldn’t tie my own shoes. Walking was hard. Just getting out of bed in the morning was a task. Taking a shower was a huge undertaking.
‘I hated the way I looked. I hated the oversized clothes that I had to wear. I hated everything.
‘I believe that prior to my surgery I was invisible, I was single for five years before I decided to have the surgery and I did not go on a single date.
‘And now after my surgery, everything has changed, I wasn’t physically active in the last 15 years and now I am a runner.
‘I started running three miles, four miles, five miles every day and I even have done two professional competitions.
‘I have my next race in January and it amazes me that my body can do this.
‘I couldn’t get my butt off the couch a year and a half ago and now I’m running everywhere.’
Sandy believes that her weight loss surgery has saved her life, and her outlook on the world and herself has transformed completely. She is pictured after her weight loss
Before surgery, Sandy said she felt ‘invisible,’ but now, she is much more ‘sociable.’ She added: ‘I have so much more interest in myself as a person.’ She is pictured after her weight loss
She said she is now searching for the man of her dreams, and has been using ‘every online dating app that you can think of.’ She is pictured after her weight loss
Sandy’s weight loss surgery has also changed her social life, and now, she is ready to start dating again.
‘I am much more sociable after my surgery, I like to buy pretty outfits and go out, I mean, pandemic permitting,’ she said.
‘I have so much more interest in myself as a person. I like to put on makeup. I like to look pretty. I like to wear heels.
‘I can go into a store and buy a skirt that’s a size small, and that just blows my mind.
‘I started dating in January, I had actually surpassed my goal weight at that point, I weigh 159 pounds now.
‘I was feeling incredibly confident and downloaded every online dating app that you can think of and I started dating.
‘However, I haven’t found the man of my dreams yet. So maybe when this article appears in newspapers and men feel like they would like to date me, please feel free to reach out.’