Rotorua's Megan Guthrie says she had bariatric surgery in 2016 to save her life.
"I turn 50 in May next year and, if I didn't have the surgery, I wouldn't have made it to that birthday," she says.
Her start weight was "180-plus-kilograms", but Megan says she has battled with her weight all her life.
"I can remember being called fat and lazy from a very young age but, when I look at photos of me as a child and teen, I was far from fat."
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The surgery - a Roux-en-Y procedure where the stomach is divided into a small upper pouch and a much larger lower 'remnant' pouch, and then the small intestine is rearranged to connect to both, causing malabsorption and food bypasses the stomach - allowed Megan to lose 92kg.
"The biggest thing is that I can live life now, not just exist. I can hold down a job and be productive. I don't need to hide or feel ashamed of being seen out in public."
While Megan credits the surgery for saving her life, and giving her a life, she says procedures should be more accessible for obese patients. She was declined twice through the public system but managed to pay for private surgery thanks to her mum's savings. She also believes skin removal surgeries post weight loss should be available.
Megan has her critics. She says people believe weight loss surgery is the "easy way out", but that's far from the truth.
"Yes, I lost half my bodyweight - but I nearly went bald, I have chronic reflux, my teeth are falling apart and I have enough loose skin to rival the saggy, baggy elephant.
"This journey is so far from easy it's not funny."
Maintaining a healthier weight is still a daily struggle for Megan.
She says sharing her journey through her Meg's Milestones Facebook page helps her overcome her low points.
Newshub.
