Obese 22st woman HALVES her body weight after ditching her £16k fast food habit… and now she looks amazing
Rose Hughes used to eat 2,000 calories per meal before her doctor diagnosed her as obese
A WOMAN lost half her 22.5 stone body weight after ditching her expensive food habit.
Rose Hughes, 24, would spent up to £16,000 on junk food in a year.
Rose, from Birmingham, struggled with her weight from a young age.
She said: "At school, I was bullied for my size and outcast from the other students.
"Soon I started comfort eating."
At the age of 14, Rose weight 15 stone and was wearing size 14 clothes.
During her teens, Rose got a part-time job at a pet shop.
With her new income Rose had more freedom to choose what she ate.
She said: "After school I’d stop off at KFC or McDonald’s three or four times a week, spending £10 a time on a huge meal.
"Each time, I’d order two pieces of chicken, ten chicken wings, large fries and a tub of ice cream.
"I didn’t know it then, but I was eating 2,000 calories a meal."
Rose added that she'd spend £40 a week on snacks.
She would binge on three packets of crisps and two chocolate bars a day.
Rose admits: "Looking back, I was wasting a huge amount of money on food."
By the age of 17 Rose tipped the scales at 22stone 7lbs and wore a size 26.
The weight gain left her with low self-esteem, and started impacting her mental health.
She said: "I was terrified that people were looking at me and judging me when I walked down the street.
"I wanted to go to college to do a beauty therapy course, but the thought of going in every day and meeting new people scared me.
"Instead, I started spending more time indoors and would go weeks without leaving the house."
Eventually, at 18, Rose knew it was time to make a change.
She booked an appointment with her GP, who confirmed that she was obese.
Rose said: "I already knew I was, but hearing it out loud made me desperate to change."
The GP gave her a diet plan which included recipes make up of lean meat and vegetables.
After following the plan for six months, Rose lost two stone.
She then felt motivated enough to join a beauty therapist course, but after six months the weight loss came to a halt.
Rose said: "I was gutted – I’d worked hard to stick to the plan.
"Depressed, I gave up and resigned myself to the fact I’d never be slim."
Over the next year, Rose’s weight stayed the same, but as she noticed her mental health deteriorating again, she knew she had to make a change.
Determined to succeed the second time round, she joined a gym and started a regimented clean eating diet.
She said: "I started going to the gym twice a day and completely cut out sugar, carbs and processed food.
"My diet was made up of protein and vegetables.
"And within a week, I’d lost 7lbs."
Over four years, Rose lost 11st 11lbs, taking her down to 10st 10lbs and a svelte size 12.
She took part in a lingerie photo shoot with Dollhouse Photography in Birmingham to celebrate her new figure.
She said: “When I saw the pictures, I hardly recognised myself.
"I was amazed by how good I looked.
"The pictures are really special as I’d wanted to do a shoot for so long.
"My weight was impacting every part of my life, so I knew I had to make a change.
"Looking back, I can’t believe how much I used to spend – not just on food, but on more expensive plus-sized clothes, too.
"I’ve got so much more cash now to spend on nice clothes.
"My weight loss has even opened up modelling opportunities to me.
"Giving up my fast food addiction was the best thing I ever did and I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved."
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How Rose's diet changed
DIET BEFORE
- Breakfast – greasy fry-up of two sausages, two rashers of bacon, eggs and beans
- Lunch – one sandwich with a packet of crisps and a chocolate bar
- Dinner – fast food meal containing 2000 calories
- Snacks – two packets of crisps and a chocolate bar
DIET AFTER
- Breakfast – fruit and porridge
- Lunch – salad with chicken breast
- Dinner – salmon with sweet potato and vegetables
- Snacks – fruit, nuts
Last time we met the mum who lost four stone after seeing this picture of herself.
We also revealed the super-fit mum-of-seven who looks so young she's mistaken for her daughter's sister.