Woman loses 12 STONE but still 'feels ugly'
The life of a formerly-obese mother has been transformed after she shed 12 stone, however she says she now feels worse than she ever did before.
Michelle Cooper, 34, from Wednesfield, used to gorge her way through more than 5,000 calories of McDonald’s breakfasts, takeaway food and chocolate-based snacks each day.
She was regularly reminded of her obesity with strangers yelling abuse at her telling her she ‘looked pregnant’.
After countless failed diets and weight loss pills, she was offered £10,000 gastric sleeve surgery on the NHS due to her declining health when she weighed more than 21 stone.
Since then, the mother-of-two has shed a remarkable 12 stone thanks to a restricted diet, healthy food choices and Slimming World.
Michelle’s weight gain began in 2000 after meeting partner Gary Hart, 37, when she gained three stone while carrying their twin daughters.
She said: “When I met my partner I was a size 10, but the more content I became I just let myself go and it progressed from there. I was always eating takeaways – from McDonald’s to KFC – and was having full-fat meals late at night, picking wrong things.”
She was regularly abused while in public for her weight, with people making cruel comments.
Michelle said: “While walking down the road people would shout abuse out of the window at me, they would call me fat and swear at me.”
Michelle lost most of her weight in 12 months but continued to lose more weight through a healthy.
However, she now has a different problem to contend with after her weight loss left her with excess skin.
She’s fundraising to have a tummy tuck after being rejected by the NHS and hopes to no longer be stuck with rolls of skin that cause constant infections.
Michelle, a full-time carer, said: “I’m very grateful for getting the weight loss surgery but now I feel worse than I ever did before. I feel ugly in a different way.
But she added: “I’m healthy now. I feel fantastic about all the weight I’ve lost, I don’t struggle for breath while walking and when I see myself in the mirror I can’t believe who is looking back at me – the only problem is my excess skin.”
