Throughout her life, Lydia May Wylesky carried the burden of excess weight. Her journey began in kindergarten, where she tipped the scales at a staggering 102 pounds. As the years rolled on, her weight only continued to climb, reaching a point where conventional scales couldn’t even register the numbers. It wasn’t until she stood on an industrial scale at a scrap yard that the shocking truth hit her: she weighed a daunting 618 pounds.
For the 39-year-old from Charleston, South Carolina, this realization was profoundly disheartening. She found herself following a familiar pattern—turning to food as a source of comfort. “I did what many people do. I just tried to find things that would make me feel better… (which was) food.”
But deep down, Wylesky knew that a transformation was necessary, not only for her own well-being but also to be a better mother to her four children. That pivotal moment led her on a remarkable journey, resulting in a remarkable weight loss of over 400 pounds.
Wylesky’s battle with weight began early in life. She was a hefty baby, weighing in at 10 pounds 7 ounces, and her childhood saw her continue to grow larger. By the time she reached middle school, her weight had ballooned to 218 pounds, and high school saw her tipping the scales at 308 pounds.
“I just had bad habits in life, stress eating,” she admitted. “Food became my happiness.” Her weight continued to spiral upward, hitting around 400 pounds by her mid-20s and her second pregnancy. Even when she made efforts to shed some pounds right before her fourth pregnancy, her doctor expressed grave concerns about her weight, cautioning her about the dire consequences of her path.
“He said, ‘What are you going to do? Because if you keep going the way you are, you’re going to be dead in five years and your kids are not going to have a mom,'” she recalled. This stern warning served as a powerful catalyst for her journey to change.
To begin her weight loss journey, Wylesky took small but significant steps. She started by eliminating energy drinks, taking only a single sip before discarding the rest. Soon, she realized that cutting them out entirely not only improved her health but also saved her money.
After giving birth to her last child, she recognized the need for further changes and made the decision to cut soda and rice from her diet. She also opted for a tricycle, which offered better support for her weight compared to a traditional bicycle. In the early days, she began riding it, her baby securely strapped in a carrier, just to reach the mailbox in her mobile home park.
“It was tiring,” she admitted. “You’d have to go down about 20 mobile home houses and come back 20 mobile home houses, and there’s a little bit of an incline.” However, her determination drove her to push herself, often taking her children along on these rides.
“After I got comfortable doing that multiple times a day for a couple of weeks, then I’d ride down to the ice cream shop with the kids,” she said.
Finally, on November 5, 2021, she took the significant step of undergoing gastric bypass surgery when her weight stood at 490 pounds. Today, she has successfully shed over 400 pounds, bringing her down to a healthier 194 pounds.
Wylesky’s transformation isn’t just about the numbers on the scale. It’s also about reclaiming a life she thought was beyond reach. Her love for being near water, a calming influence for her, had been limited by her weight. She would take her children to local waterfalls, always opting for ones that required minimal walking. However, for her most recent birthday, she took a trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and hiked to Ruby Falls, explored caves, and enjoyed many other sights.
“The big hikes, there was no way I was ever going to do that at the weight I was,” Wylesky admitted. “Now, I don’t have to find the shortest smallest trail.” She also feels more capable of keeping up with her children, particularly the younger ones.
Living as a 600-plus-pound person had its challenges. “You’re not capable of living a very happy life when you’re 600-plus pounds and forcing yourself to stand in front of the stove for 20 minutes and then sitting down on a chair to finish cooking dinner for your kids because you’re exhausted just from standing,” she shared.
Wylesky’s remarkable weight loss journey has imparted a crucial lesson: life is worth living. “I’m so glad that I was able to stick to something this time,” she affirmed.
For those on a similar path to weight loss or seeking to adopt healthier habits, Wylesky offers simple yet profound advice: “Don’t give up on yourself.”
“I really just didn’t care about myself,” she confessed. “Once I decided I had worth and my kids needed me—and I needed to be better for them—that was when I was able to start making the necessary changes and tipping the scale in a positive direction.”
