‘I’ll make sure my baby is a health addict’

Monica Riley dreamed of being the fattest woman in the world – but after becoming a mum, she says fruit and veg are the only things on the menu

Dining on 10,000 calories a day and drinking milkshakes through a funnel, Monica Riley once dreamt of being so fat she couldn’t leave her bed.

But despite reaching 50st, the 29 year old decided to change her life – and body – after discovering she was pregnant.

Her daughter Michelle was born last October, and Monica – who used to gorge on 30 chicken nuggets in one sitting – is determined to get her hooked on fruit and veg from the very start.

Full-time mum Monica, who lives in Texas, USA, with her fiancé Sid Riley, 26, a retail worker, says, “I don’t regret eating junk food every day because it tastes amazing.

“But I’ve quit because the thought of being bedbound and immobile doesn’t appeal to me any more now that I’ve got a gorgeous little baby.

“I want to be able to walk round the park with her, go shopping together and take her to the playground.

“I’m determined that Michelle and I will have the healthiest and happiest lives possible.”

LIFESTYLE OVERHAUL

Despite her super-sized physique, Monica had always wanted to start a family but was convinced that her weight would stop her conceiving. And after suffering two miscarriages and being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder that can cause infertility and weight gain, she assumed she would never have a baby. Monica says, “When I found out I was pregnant, I was thrilled. And when I saw my little girl on the sonogram for the first time, it was magical.

“It was the wake-up call I needed and I decided to overhaul my lifestyle to make sure I had a healthy pregnancy and nothing would go wrong.”

Through gentle exercise and a balanced diet, 5ft 11 Monica managed to lose an astonishing 14st in the first ten weeks of pregnancy.

She says, “I immediately cut my calorie intake from 10,000 to 2,000 a day and swapped junk food for healthy salads and steamed veg with chicken breast.

“I also started doing a lot of walking. It was difficult at first because my stamina was low, so it took me a bit of time to get my strength up.

“It was hard and I cried a lot. I craved food like a drug addict needing a fix, but I was determined to get down to a healthy size. The weight was just falling off, but because I was following a healthier, more nutritious diet, I felt I wasn’t putting my baby at risk.”

And by the time she gave birth, she’d dropped to 34st.

However, despite her dramatic diet overhaul, Monica began to develop health complications such as pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes and had to have an emergency Caesarean at 33 weeks – four weeks before doctors had planned to induce her.

She says, “I wanted to hold out for a natural birth, but my pre-eclampsia meant my placenta wasn’t working properly and doctors warned that if I didn’t have a C-section I’d be in danger of having seizures from the resulting high blood pressure.

“Michelle didn’t cry when she

was delivered, and I only got to see her for a split second before she was rushed away to be put on a ventilator to help her breathing. It was terrifying. She had four tiny holes in her heart and struggled to feed because she suffered from reflux.

BESOTTED

“I had to wait a day and a half before I could hold her. It was the longest wait of my life, but when I saw her little toes and scrunched-up face, I just started crying. I was so happy.”

Monica adds, “I don’t believe Michelle’s medical condition had anything to do with my weight, as babies are born prematurely all the time.”

Michelle was kept under observation for three weeks but is now back home with her besotted parents. Monica says, “She was on reflux medication, but that’s calmed down now, and she’s already eating baby food.

“She still has one tiny hole in her heart, but it will heal over time. Otherwise, she’s fully healthy. And despite being premature, doctors say that Michelle is hitting all her developmental milestones.”

And as she gets older, Monica is determined to educate Michelle about food to make sure she doesn’t make the same dietary mistakes as herself.

She says, “We’ll definitely not funnel-feed her, that’s for sure! We’re only going to give her healthy things. We’ll maybe let her have some sweets if she goes trick-or-treating at Halloween, but we want to get her hooked on fruit and veggies while she’s young. But if Michelle wanted to gain weight in the future, then I wouldn’t disapprove. I’d just share my concerns and tell her that things could go wrong. I just want her to be happy.”

Despite facing a backlash from the Super-sized Big Beautiful Women community, Monica is also planning to lose even more weight. She says, “Some people in the fat community were angry at me for abandoning my weightgain goals, because I was no longer helping them fulfil their fantasies. But I’m committed to losing even more weight and I’ve just got a referral for gastric bypass surgery.

NOT TOO SKINNY

“I want to get down to at least 21st, but 18st would be even better because I want to do normal things with my daughter, like play on the swings or go swimming – which can currently be a struggle.

“I’m hoping I can get the surgery this year, so by this time next year I’ll be at least 14st lighter. I don’t want to get too skinny because I still like being chubby and enjoy the feeling of being soft and squishy. And although Sid liked feeding me and helping me put on weight in the past, I know that he’ll love me whatever size I am.

“I can’t believe I’m finally a mum. Ditching funnel feeds for bottle feeds is the best thing I’ve ever done.”

❛WE DEFINITELY WON’T FUNNEL-FEED HER – WE’RE ONLY GOING TO GIVE HER HEALTHY THINGS❜