Gary Barlow superfan who ate 14 packets of crisps a day loses 11st after ‘enormous’ selfie with the pop star drove her to get a gastric bypass
Hellen Ellis was so shocked at her appearance in the snap with the former Take That star she decided to seek help
A GARY Barlow superfan has lost an incredible 11st 1lb after a selfie with the former Take That singer left her horrified by her 22st 9lb figure.
Hellen Ellis, 40, once ate 14 packets of cheese and onion crisps a day, but didn't realise how big she was until she took the snap at his 'Since I Saw You Last' tour in April 2014.
Shocked into action by the unflattering selfie, the size 30 supermarket sales assistant underwent a gastric bypass and has dropped an incredible 9 dress sizes to a size 12.
Hellen, from Rowley Regis, West Midlands, who now weighs 11st 8lb, said: "I love Gary Barlow.
"I've been to around 62 of his concerts, and my bedroom walls are plastered with posters of him. Plus I have all kinds of memorabilia stored in my loft.
"To me, he is just perfect. So I was thrilled to get a selfie with him.
"But when I saw the pictures on my camera, my jaw almost dropped to the floor. I was absolutely enormous.
"It sounds silly, but up until that point, I hadn't realised how big I was. Finally, I saw that I'd been denying my body issues for too long, and it was time to do something about it."
Hellen had struggled with her weight since childhood, and by the age of 14, she was 16st and a size 18.
Over the next 19 years, she went on a series of failed diets, including Slimming World, Weight Watchers, and a course of slimming tablets.
But by the age of 33, she had reached 23st 8lb, taking her BMI to 51.6 - more than double the recommended range of 18.5 to 25.
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Hellen, who is 5ft 7in tall, said: "Absolutely nothing worked. I'd lose a few pounds and then put it back on. No matter how hard I tried, I'd always end up giving in and munching on junk food.
"My favourite snack was Walkers cheese and onion crisps. I'd get through up to 14 packets a day.
"Plus every night, after I'd finished my shift at work, I'd walk down the confectionery aisle and fill my basket with £15 worth of crisps and chocolate.
"Once I got home, I'd have a full roast dinner with all the trimmings, washed down with a 2-litre bottle of Coke. Then I'd get started on my snacks."
Luckily, Hellen's partner of 10 years, water company manager, Ian O~Shea, 41, has always been supportive of her size, but strangers were not so kind.
Hellen said: "Men rolled down their car windows and shouted 'Fatty!' at me in the street, or they'd compare my backside to a bus.
"Plus I had to ask for an extender strap on aeroplanes. I could feel everyone staring at me. It was so humiliating.
"But I'd still refuse to acknowledge that I had an issue with food."
After seeing selfie, Hellen was inspired to finally tackle her food demons for good and went to her GP in October 2014.
There, she was advised that she weighed 22st 9lb and an NHS-funded gastric bypass was the best option.
After psychiatric tests to assess her suitability, Hellen underwent the two-hour operation in May 2015.
Forced to follow a pureed diet of baby food and soup for twelve weeks, Hellen was delighted when the weight began to drop off.
She said: "Within eight months, I'd lost nine stone. I finally started liking my appearance.
"Feeling better about myself motivated me to start eating healthily and go to the gym four times a week."
After losing a further two stone, Hellen now weighs 11st 8lb and is a healthy size 12.
She said: "I feel fantastic. I have so much more energy, and I love shopping for new clothes.
"My partner Ian loves it. He even says it's like having a new girlfriend. And I suppose it is - I don't hide away any more, as I feel confident.
"Losing weight has completely changed my life. And it's all thanks to Gary Barlow."
Diet before
BREAKFAST - None
LUNCH - Two ham sandwiches, three packets of Walkers cheese and onion crisps, coffee
DINNER - Roast dinner with all the trimmings
SNACKS - 11 packets of crisps, six bars of chocolate, two 2-litre bottles of Coke
DIET AFTER
BREAKFAST - Rice Krispies, skimmed milk
LUNCH - ham salad sandwich, fruit
DINNER - Fish and vegetables
SNACKS - Fruit