A mother has revealed she was forced into drastic weight-loss surgery after an embarrassing ordeal at a theme park in Benidorm. 

Carla White, 33, from Glasgow, was left mortified on a family holiday to Spain when she was rejected from a ride for being too large.

The Scots native explained that the feeling, which she said she wouldn’t wish on anyone, was what motivated her to seek medical intervention.

But her weight-loss surgery left her with more insecurities over sagging skin and scars and Carla hid behind baggy clothes.

Determined to turn her life around, the mother-of-one flew out to Turkey for a full ‘Mummy makeover’ and is now happier than ever. 

The decision to change her looks came after an embarrassing ordeal while on holiday. 

Carla, who was once a size 24, explained that for years she had to ask for seatbelt extenders on aeroplanes and would be barred from rollercoasters and theme park rides, forcing her to hide away.

The nurse said: ‘I lived in leggings. I remember wearing a seatbelt extension on a plane after trying my hardest to clip it.’

But it was after a family trip that she received a shock that the mother-of-one confessed almost ruined her holiday.  

Carla said: ‘I went to Benidorm and got rejected from one of the rollercoasters. That was when I thought, “nah I need to change this”.

‘I was with my ex and his family. They went on and I sat crying at the bottom; I was so embarrassed.

‘I made sure to clean my tears away before they got off. But I never forget that feeling – I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.’

Carla also said that her weight led to other issues as well including skin infections and rashes.

She explained her weight meant sweat used to build up under her stomach fold and become red, sore and infected.

She said: ‘It would be hard to clear up as it had to stay dry and clean – Talc was my best friend.’

She added that her weight hadn’t felt like a problem until her trip to Benidorm because she was in a happy relationship.

Instead she put her weight gain down to eating unhealthily when she was younger, explaining: ‘I was in a nine-year relationship, I was very secure and happy and I was a student, so processed easy foods.’

After her awful experiences Carla, who was 22 stone, underwent a gastric sleeve operation and lost nine stone.

But despite her new lease of life, she was still self conscious and said the excess skin left her feeling worse than she did before her weight loss. 

Carla, who is mother to Lee, four, said she felt like she had been given a second chance but something still wasn’t quite right. 

She said: ‘I had my son after the sleeve and that was the start of my new life, but the excess skin was just as bad as the weight.

‘It got in the way and I wore bigger clothes to hide the overhang.’

So, in a move that shocked her family, she flew out to Turkey, spending £5,000 on a full ‘Mummy Makeover’.

The nurse booked herself in for the procedure in October 2023 and underwent a breast uplift, tummy tuck and 360-degree liposuction.

Carla said her family urged her not to go abroad due to the risks of overseas surgery but having consulted with a surgeon in Scotland, she felt confident in her decision and flew out to the private clinic in Izmir.

‘I never really told a lot of people because I was aware of it being quite controversial,’ Carla said.

‘I didn’t want anyone giving me doubts or fears so I kept it very hush. My dad and nana were not initially happy, but knew I wouldn’t change my mind as I’m really headstrong.

‘They trusted me to make the right decision.’

Carla underwent the multiple procedures in one operation and flew home just six days later, describing the recovery as ‘really smooth’.

The Scottish mother explained that having had a C-section previously she didn’t find the operation too painful but found sleeping uncomfortable for the first few weeks.

She said: ‘I got the drains taken out the day I flew and got the go-ahead to be discharged.

‘I had a C-section so found the tummy tuck pain very similar to that.

‘However, the areas I got lipo done felt really tender, so I found sleeping really uncomfortable for a few weeks.’

Carla added that the compression garments were irritating and she had to have regular procedures to deal with fluid retention but is happier than ever with her body. 

‘Wearing the compression garments for months was a bit of a pain. I had to get lymphatic drainage massages weekly to help with the fluid retention.’

Although the results weren’t instantly visible due to swelling, Carla says she’s feeling healthier and more confident.

She added: ‘I was really swollen initially after the surgery and never really saw the results instantly, which was quite hard for me.’

With her new-found confidence, Carla says she now feels much happier when trying on clothes or going on nights out.

She’s also looking forward to upcoming holidays to Tunisia and Salou, Spain where she plans to wear bikinis instead of swimming costumes for the first time.

She added: ‘I’m a lot happier when trying clothes on or going on a night out – it’s not such a stress.

‘It’s good going to things like raves and being able to shop in normal clothes shops and running about with my wee boy and knowing I won’t be embarrassed by my skin.

‘I’ve got two holidays this year and only packed bikinis – no full costumes!’.