Woman who deliberately ballooned to 18 stone to make herself ‘unattractive’ after being raped at 19 lost eight stone after dad diagnosed with cancer
Rebecca Wass was motivated to lose weight when her dad was diagnosed with cancer four years ago
A RAPE victim who comfort ate to make herself unattractive to future attackers was inspired to lose eight stone after her dad was diagnosed with cancer.
Rebecca Wass, 26, tipped the scales at 18st 1lb and UK size 24 after she turned to food after she was raped in 2011.
But after shedding 8st 5lbs, she now weighs a svelte 10st 1lb and wears a UK size 8 or 10.
She said: "I’d always been a ‘big’ child, and growing up I yo-yo dieted a lot as a teenager.
“I can’t remember ever being smaller than a U.K. size 14. But in 2011 I was sexually assaulted and I’ve since learned that was the trigger that caused me to pile on the pounds.
“I used food as a coping mechanism, and I thought that by making myself ‘bigger’, I’d also make myself as unattractive as possible, which would stop a situation like that happening again."
However, when Rebecca, who lives in Nottinghamshire, found out that her beloved dad Chris had been diagnosed with bowel cancer, she knew that she needed to take more care of her health.
Rebecca's dad was an avid runner, and even completed several marathons - if he could get cancer despite having a healthy lifestyle, then it meant that she was also at serious risk.
She said: “When my dad was diagnosed with cancer I knew then that if I didn’t get a handle on myself, and change the relationship with food; that I’d do more damage to my body that I already had done if the worst happened to my Dad.
“He was really into fitness; he ran multiple times a week and had done marathons etc, so I wanted him to be proud of me too.”
As well as changing her appearance, losing weight helped change Rebecca's mindset, and she admits that she had struggled to cope with the aftermath of being sexually assaulted.
She said: "I grew as a person, any survivor of sexual assault will instantly blame themselves, and that’s what I did.
“But I’ve since realised that I didn’t control the attackers actions, and so I shouldn’t blame myself.”
Rebecca lost 7 stone (108 lbs) by following the Cambridge Weight Plan, but gained some of it back after her dad died in September 2016 aged just 62.
She then lost another 3.5 stone (50lbs) by herself, and says it was her dad's love of cooking that helped inspire her to get in the kitchen and start creating healthy meals.
“It was a very hard time for the family, he was the concrete that held us all together,” she added.
“He loved to cook, and create new concoctions in the kitchen, so I’ve found comfort in that since he passed. When I cook I feel closer to him, it’s just I’m using less cream, salt and so on, and opting for more veggies and spices than before.
“Before I lost the weight, I’d walk a little each day. But my diet wasn’t pretty, or healthy. It probably consisted of lots of pasta, curries, cheese (my weakness), lots of bread. Overall it was very stodgy and carb heavy.
“Now I try and make sure 70 per cent of my plate (at least) is veggies, with the other 30 per cent being split between protein, healthy fats and carbs.
“A low carb diet is what works before for me, I also drink an insane amount of water; between four to five litres a day. As for exercise I walk as much as I can, and I’m aiming to get back into some sort of gym routine in February."
Rebecca shares some of her culinary creations on her Instagram account, .
“Being in the right frame of mind is the most important thing; you’ve got to want to make healthy changes for you, and no one else.
“There are so many different diet plans out there that there will be something that works for you. Stay hydrated too, half the time if you feel hungry you’re not, your’re just dehydrated."
Rebecca’s change has not only been in weight as her new figure and healthy lifestyle has also changed how she feels about herself.
“Before I decided to get healthy, and make permanent lifestyle changes I was very unhappy,” she said.
“Looking in the mirror made me feel physically ill. I’d always come up with excuses to cancel on friends, because I hated who I’d become. Then when we did go out I felt so self conscious that I never really enjoyed a second of it.
“I wouldn’t say that losing weight has changed my life. But becoming healthy both physically and mentally definitely has, and the weight loss was just part of that.
“Since I started becoming healthy I can do more, I’m more confident, more social and just so much happier in a lot of ways, which in my eyes is the most important thing."
Rebecca has since gone on to have a tummy tuck after her extreme weightloss left her with a lot of excess skin.
She explained: “I’m 85 per cent happy with myself now. I’d LOVE to say that I’m 100 per cent happy with myself and how I look, but in today’s society, and with pressure from the media I don’t think any woman (or man) can say that they are 100 per cent happy with themselves.
"There’s always room for improvement in some way, and everyone has something that they wish they could change.”
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