A woman who ballooned to 19-and-a-half stone on a diet of takeaways and drank eight cans of cola-a-day has done a wellness U-turn and lost nine stone – in just one year.
Venture Capitalist Vivian McCall, 24, began extreme comfort eating following the death of both her parents.
But she decided it all had to change after struggling to fit into an airplane seat and now weighs a healthy 10-and-a-half stone, never touches cola, drinks 100oz (2.9 liters) of water daily and exercises six days-a-week.
Vivian, who lives in Ruidoso, New Mexico, USA, said: “I was grief eating hardcore. I don’t even think I drank water.
“I would skip breakfast every day and by lunch I’d be starving.
“For lunch I’d get fast food. At McDonald’s I’d order a Big ‘N Tasty with a large order of fries and a large Coke.
“For dinner it’d be the same thing. I’d get the number two at Taco Bell, which was an extra large double stuffed burrito with an extra taco on the side and some cinnamon balls.
“For snacks, it’d be barbecue chips. I could eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream very easily in one sitting.”
Vivian made the decision to change her lifestyle in September 2019, after she had difficulty fitting into her aeroplane seat during a trip to California.
She said: “I couldn’t fit in the seat…I knew I had to do something.”
But after just one year of intense exercise and a dietary overhaul Vivian dropped to 148 pounds.
“Now, I go to the gym six days-a-week with a rest day on Sunday,” she said.
“I’m big into weightlifting and I do 30 minutes of cardio every day.
“I also run three miles on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights outside the gym.”
Vivian’s diet has also changed dramatically – she only eats at set times and has cut out sugary drinks and gluten entirely.
She said: “I have eight hours of eating, from 10 am to 6 pm, followed by 16 hours of fasting.
“I work out every morning at the end of my fast.
“After working out, I have a fruit smoothie around 10am with mixed berries, almond milk, and protein powder.
“For lunch have a P3 pack with a protein bar.
“A snack might be a cheese stick or bit of summer sausage, and dinner is always chicken or steak with some veggies.
“I also stopped drinking fizzy drinks.”
Unlike many attempting extreme weight loss, Vivian had near-instant success with her program.
“I lost about 40 pounds every three months for the first nine months,” she said.
Vivian momentarily faltered in her regime around the anniversary of her parent’s death, but still managed to lose weight during that painful time.
“I still ended up losing three pounds during that period,” she said.
Now Vivian is healthy, fit and hoping to run a half marathon after Covid.
“I’m just trying to make myself better everyday,” she said.
“I have a really tiny bit of extra skin around my stomach, but I’m using wheat germ oil and it helps a lot.
“My skin is tightening. I’ve seen stretch marks disappear.”