The reason for this is simple: to do so would imply that there is something wrong with the body I had before the operation.
There was nothing wrong with that body. That was the body I moved my whole life to Leeds with, it was that body that saw me graduate twice after a lot of hard work and it was that body that walked down the aisle to marry my husband. That body was beautiful and it saw me through a lot.
It wasn't my previous body that was the problem, it was how I saw it and felt within myself. I came a long way to accepting that body - every stretch mark, extra pound and roll - but the medical issues I had were exacerbated by the weight, which is my main reason for choosing to undergo this operation.
A body that stops me being healthy and achieving what I want in life is not the right body for me.
I also won't be posting those pictures because of how they made me feel when I was at my lowest and wasn't positive about my body. I never want to trigger someone or make them feel that their worth is less because I posted a picture showing the changes in my physicality.
Everybody has a beautiful body and there is no "perfect" body that we should all aspire to. People come in all shapes and sizes and after being shamed for being larger by friends and strangers alike, I never want to make someone be negative about the way they look.
One hundred people could find a before and after post inspirational and only one person could be upset by it, but that is one person too many in my eyes.
I will happily put a number on my progress in terms of pounds if people are really so interested, but I am fully aware that the weight a person carries with them is not a reflection of their worth and their size doesn't tell you about the type of person they are.
There is also the fact that I had this operation for me, not for anyone else. I want to be honest about the procedure, what I've learnt from it and what I've gone through because it could help others who are considering taking this step.
Both my before body and the one that develops after the procedure are for me, so I don't need to share either with the world if I don't want to.