Ami Gill feels half the woman she used to be after shedding 11st in less than a year following a life-changing operation.

Ami, 53, from central Bradford, had a gastric bypass operation in June 2012 as a desperate last-resort measure to tackle the weight she had gained as a side effect from medication she takes for her bipolar disorder.

Before the operation, Ami weighed 25st and was a size 32. Now, ten months on, she weighs 14st and is a size 16.

“I’d been looking into this operation for eight years,” says Ami. “I didn’t go into it lightly. I had tried various diets and exercises, but nothing was working and I just couldn’t shift the weight.

“The problem with my condition is you retain a lot of water. Doctors did originally think the problem was due to what I ate, but my diet is very healthy I know how to eat properly.

“When I was younger, I used to spend countless hours in the gym – I even had a six pack.”

Ami was diagnosed with bipolar disorder – a condition which affects moods, causing them to swing from one extreme to another – about seven years ago, and claims the medication she was taking led to her gaining weight.

For bipolar sufferers, the mood swings can range from extreme highs which are known as mania to extreme lows known as depression.

“Suffering from bipolar means I’m hyperactive. Before I knew I had the illness, I thought it was part of my personality; for example I used to be manic at the gym and I used to go daily for four-hour gym sessions,” says Ami.

“I used to be very fit when I was younger and was in various competitions for body sculpting, so when I put on the weight, I just couldn’t understand how this could have happened. I had been used to being in a good shape most of my life.

“While I was thinking about my options and having some sort of surgery, I just thought it was the coward’s way out, but in the end it was the only way.

She adds: “Before the operation simple tasks became more challenging and my breathing was very heavy. My body mass index was 57 before the operation, which is classed as obese.”

A turning point came when she went to buy clothes. “It was becoming more and more difficult. I was outgrowing one of the only high street shops I found which sold items of clothing that would fit me. I did start to really panic at this point,” she recalls.

Following consultations with dieticians and doctors, it was decided a gastric bypass was the best option.

“As the date drew nearer, I was getting quite scared. I didn’t know if I was going to make it and so I organised a pre-gastric party with my family and friends before the operation,” says Ami.

Ami had the operation on the NHS at the Yorkshire Clinic in Bingley. A spokesman for the clinic said: “A gastric bypass is irreversible, whereas a gastric band is removed. A bypass is more severe as it is permanent. Both the bypass and the band restrict the amount of food which a person can consume.

“Normally for a person to have gastric band, their BMI would have to be 40 and over, whereas for a gastric band their BMI would be 35 and over.

“The decision as to whether a person should have a band or a bypass is decided after consultations with a dietician, where they would go through a food diary and work out from this which procedure would be best for the individual.”

Ami is a former business woman – she used to own pub and nightclub – but since falling ill and with the problems with her weight, she couldn’t work.

But now she hopes to get back into work and is looking forward to the prospect.

“The weight stopped me from doing certain jobs and made it difficult to be chosen for jobs,” she says. “Now I feel very well. I don’t feel sluggish like I used to. I feel half the woman I used to be. It really has changed my life for the better.

“Going shopping for clothes is enjoyable and it is nice to have nice clothes to fit into.”

Now she plans to celebrate her new lease of life by having a post-gastric bypass party.

“I have been to the dietician in the last few days and I have achieved my original target weight already, which they were very surprised at. That doesn’t usually happen so fast after having the operation,” she says.

“I have been very lucky I haven’t suffered skin sagging, I think, because I used to be toned and so fit which I think has helped significantly.

“The reasons I had the operation were purely personal, but I hope I can inspire others suffering with my condition and show people you can turn your life around.

About bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a condition that affects moods, which can swing from one extreme to another.

Sufferers of bipolar disorder will have periods or ‘episodes’ of depression, where they feel very low and lethargic, and mania, where they feel very high and overactive.
Extreme episodes of bipolar disorder can last for several weeks or longer, interspersed by ‘normal’ moods.

The depression phase of bipolar disorder is often diagnosed first. An initial diagnosis can be for clinical depression before having a manic episode, after which the diagnosis is bipolar disorder.
During an episode of depression, sufferers may have overwhelming feelings of worthlessness, which can potentially lead to thoughts of suicide.A

At lower levels of mania, they can appear energetic and excitable and may be highly productive. At a higher level, they can behave erratically and impulsively, and have difficulty sleeping.
At the highest level of mania, individuals can behave in a psychotic way.
Bipolar disorder is often treated with mood stabilising medications and psychotherapy.

For more information, visit nhs.uk.