A fast food addict mum who ate McDonald's three times a day has shed 14 stone - after she became too big to fit in her friend's kitchen.
Melanie Malone said she was bullied for her weight in school and the 31-year-old claims it triggered a vicious cycle of binge eating for comfort, which saw her consume around £5,400 worth of takeaways a year. In 2018, 5ft 3in Melanie tipped the scales at 23 stone and reached a dress size 28.
The mum-of-one said that at her largest, every day was a challenge as she struggled to walk, would break seats, and was even unable to fit into the bath Wales Online reports.
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Melanie, from Manchester, said: "I was a massive binge eater. Fizzy drinks were my crutch. I would drink so many cans of diet coke a day, it was ridiculous. At the most, I'd have six cans a day.
"Crisps were my kryptonite. I'd sit and eat 10 bags of Space Raiders and hide all the empty packets in the big packet so it didn't look like I'd eaten them all. I had takeaways pretty much every night for around four years.
"I never cooked, there was only one thing that I'd cook and it was Mexican and it was full of calories. If it wasn't a takeaway I'd have McDonald's. I'd eat McDonald's three times a day, so I'd have it in the morning, dinner, and for my tea."
Melanie said when her binge eating was at its worst, she'd scoff four breakfast rolls stuffed with bacon, sausage, and hash browns before 10:15am. She'd also gulp down six cans of diet coke.
Melanie said: "I'd say from around the age of 12 I went through a lot of bullying because I started to put on a little bit of weight and that just made the situation worse and I'd comfort eat.
"I remember being 15 and being 15 stone, I was really heavy at such a young age, it was as if my age matched my weight. In school, I'd get called all sorts of names. I remember there was one boy who used to sing this song to me 'ba ba ba ba ba, Mc Melanie's'.
"I also got called the Michelin Man. It was around the time that the Michelin tyre man was out. I just used to get called fat all the time - fatso, fatty. They always used to compare me to Dawn French and anyone big, like Miss Trunchbull or Bruce Bogtrotter."
She said her weight yo-yoed throughout her life but when Melanie was at her largest life was particularly difficult.
Melanie said: "Everything was a challenge. I couldn't walk up the stairs without getting out of breath, sitting on the toilet, or getting into toilet cubicles when they were small. If I was going to go for a meal I'd already be thinking 'how big are the spaces between the chairs? Will I be able to squeeze through there? Is it going to be embarrassing? Am I going to fit in the chair?'
"I couldn't bend down in the shower and was too fat to fit in the bath. I also couldn't fit in hot tubs - anything that involved me taking my clothes off and exposing myself was just tormenting."
A turning point came when Melanie's best friend passed away from a heart problem, which led to booking her weight loss surgery in Turkey. Beforehand, she did an in-depth self-development course on nutrition and mental health to get her in the strongest mindset possible before such a life-changing procedure.
Melanie said: "I just felt like I didn't want to leave my daughter without a mum, I wanted to be here. I knew that I needed to make life changes. When I took that step to have the surgery I was really thinking about what I wanted and what would help me. I felt that for myself, I had to take this drastic step.
"I wear shorts, sleeveless and vest tops and I've been out without a bra on. I just feel free, light, healthy, and happy. I'm full of love and joy. It's so life-changing."
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