A beautiful bride in Nebraska lost 180 pounds before her wedding, so she could fit into her gorgeous size 10 gown.
The final fitting before a wedding is always an emotional moment for any bride, but for soon-to-be Mrs. Nikki Morton, it was life-changing.
By the time Morton decided to undergo gastric bypass surgery in November 2014, she’d already struggled with her weight for many years, weighing as much as 326 pounds at her heaviest.
"It just [got to the point of} going places and getting tired," she told KETV. "I would get tired just walking up the steps. Getting comments like, 'your face is so beautiful.' Basically, you're so pretty for a big girl."
When Morton finally took the plunge and asked for the surgery, her children and fiancé were completely supportive.
"We actually got engaged before the surgery," Morton said. "We didn't set a date; there was no way I was getting married big like that."
While many people see gastric bypass surgery as a quick-fix, most doctors understand that it’s often the only option.
"Most bariatric surgeons see it as the only way out, not the easy way out," said Morton's doctor, Dr. Gary Anthone with Methodist Physicians Clinic. "More than 90-percent of bariatric surgery patients have surgery because there is no other way out. And by the way, surgery is not easy. These patients are willing to undergo a life-changing surgery to achieve a normal weight. That's a big decision."
Shortly after recovering from the surgery, Morton drastically changed her lifestyle by eating healthy foods and going to the gym at least every other day.
In the first year, Morton lost 105 pounds. 16 months later, she was down 180 pounds.
"I'm going to be that beautiful bride I always wanted to be, not ashamed to get into my dress," she told KETV just two weeks before her wedding. "I'm excited."
"From the first moment I met Nikki, you could tell she was motivated," Dr. Anthone said of Morton’s unwavering determination. "She had failed so many diets [before] she decided to have the surgery. In doing so, she also knew this was probably her last and best chance. She did her homework and she was ready to make this work. That's why she saw the results. Motivation is a huge factor in weight loss success, with or without surgery. Having a solid support system is so important for success. Nikki is a perfect example of that support and motivation paying off."
Video Credit: KETV NewsWatch 7 via YouTube.com
