Siberian Woman's Weight Loss and Plastic Surgery Journey

A 38-year-old sales manager from Novosibirsk, Natalya S., lost 30 kilograms and then spent seven hours on a plastic surgeon«s table. She never dreamed of a supermodel figure — it was problems people usually don»t talk about that led her to the operating table. Natalya told NGS what she had to go through.

Natalya S. never considered herself overweight: at 158 cm (5 ft 2 in) tall, she weighed about 60 kg (132 lb). She first thought about it when, after five years of a civil marriage, she stepped on the scales and saw 83 kg (183 lb).

“I was, like, very loved. When you«re constantly told that everything about you is good, just compliments — it»s very relaxing. And I started gaining and gaining, I closed my eyes to myself, everything suited me,” she laughs.

At some point Natalya went on vacation to Kazan and after 10 days of walking around beautiful places realized she wanted not only to lose weight but also to leave her husband.

“I realized I was with the wrong person, I had no feelings, I didn«t want to go home. I wanted to stand against the backdrop of these sights slim and beautiful,” she recalls.

Natalya separated from her civil husband without scandals — “we remained best friends.” And over the following year she completely changed everything: her daily routine, her diet, and her social circle.

Her first attempts at dieting yielded no results: the kilograms lost during the week came back after the weekend. So Natalya started by giving up alcohol entirely.

The place of Friday get-togethers in bars was taken by sports. Natalya bought a fitness club membership, took up yoga and pole dancing, and joined a weight-loss marathon — together with other participants she ate from a menu provided by a trainer. A year later she looked in the mirror and didn«t recognize herself: a slim blonde was looking back at her. The scales showed 50 kg (110 lb).

The problem surfaced where it shouldn«t have: along with subcutaneous fat, the woman lost skin elasticity.

“If before I couldn«t wear an open swimsuit because I was overweight, then when I lost weight, I realized I again couldn»t wear a swimsuit: the skin hangs on my stomach, there«s nothing in the swimsuit,” she described the problem she discovered during a trip to the banya with a friend. “Before, everything was always fine — a B or C cup. And then I undress, and my friend looks at me in horror: ‘I don»t get it, where are the breasts?’ For a woman this is such a problem, as if you«ve lost a body part.”

According to Natalya, after the weight loss the skin also sagged on her face — in her perception, this added at least 10 years to her age.

That was when the woman first thought about plastic surgery. She began estimating the budget: a facelift and tummy tuck, breast surgery with implants — all of it cost astronomical money.

If there«s no money, it needs to be won — the woman decided and entered the Mrs. Novosibirsk contest, where one of the prizes was a certificate for plastic surgery. But she didn»t get the prize. During the months of preparation she only lost more weight — rehearsals, training, and constant stress took their toll.

Then one of her new friends invited her to a Razgulyai party.

“I went on stage in a kokoshnik (traditional Russian headdress) and sang a song about a venochek (flower wreath) by Kadysheva. The management of the Dune Ego clinic was sitting in the hall. They were launching a ‘Transformation’ project and announced a casting call. The prize was a transformation worth one million rubles,” the woman recalls.

And Natalya decided to go to the casting.

The doctors recognized her right away: “Ah, the venochek, it«s you!” — the chief surgeon smiled. According to her, the doctors were looking for a woman on whom they could clearly demonstrate the capabilities of plastic surgery.

“They didn«t need a beauty, they were looking for a woman with problems. As they say, prove how ugly you are. And I started proving it,” Natalya laughs.

The following months were hard for her. To win the audience vote, she needed to draw as much attention to her story as possible: tell everything and show intimate moments. Natalya still remembers how her voice broke when she told her story on camera.

Then she personally called all her acquaintances: friends, colleagues, former classmates. She wrote to everyone who followed her on social media, asking them to vote for her.

In autumn the clinic called her and congratulated her on winning. The operation was scheduled for November 1.

Natalya spent almost 7 hours on the operating table. Two surgeons removed excess skin, performed a lift, and inserted implants. The woman noted that plastic surgeons rarely work in pairs — especially on such complex cases. Usually plastic surgery takes from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, but here it was 7 — an operation of such scale and duration required high professionalism from the clinic«s doctors.

“They cut me up all over, but I wanted it myself,” says Natalya.

The recovery period lasted six months. All that time she had to wear compression stockings and undergarments — taking them off only to wash. The head bandage squeezed her ears, it was impossible to dress herself after a shower, and in the bathroom she sometimes got so dizzy that she couldn«t get up on her own — she had to call her daughter.

During those six months Natalya grew closer to her daughter. The teenage girl took care of her mother and helped her with everyday things: for example, fastening the compression garment after a bath. For such help the girl often had to give up her own leisure time, but she took it all with understanding.

According to Natalya, the most important thing when having plastic surgery is to follow all the doctors« recommendations. Many stop wearing compression garments earlier than required and start drinking alcohol little by little. She decided not to do that.

“I told the doctors right away: if you chose me, I will do everything from start to finish. And they later told me that my stitches healed faster than usual. They called me a fighter,” she says.

We speak with Natalya in August. She is wearing an open top with sequins and a full skirt below the knee.

“I can«t breathe enough, I have so many emotions! Before, I hid everything, chose dresses where everything was covered, because there was nothing to show. Now it»s the opposite! I«ve bought so many swimsuits, I won»t wear them all out,” — she adjusts her blonde hair and smiles joyfully.

I ask what she dreams of now — after all, we women will always find something else to change about ourselves. Natalya looks thoughtfully out the window.

“I dream that my ex-husband would see me like this. That he would say: ‘Natashka, wow, what you«ve become!’” she admits.

Her ex-husband went to the SMO (Special Military Operation) and in early summer was declared missing in action.

Many, like the heroine of this article, want to lose weight. But when it comes to major weight loss, it«s important not to act thoughtlessly. An expert»s advice — in the NGS article.