THE BIG DIPPER

I ate exact same meal for decade

DAILY STAR SUNDAY, May 3, 2020

CUTE kitty Sweetpea loves being outside in the sunshine at home in Sheffield.

And that pleasure is only rivalled by a cuddle from owner Mollymae Woods and her cousins Emily and Amber.

A WOMAN ate nothing but chicken dippers and chips for more than a decade.

Candice Wilkinson developed a selective eating disorder aged 16 and munched on the same meal every single day.

But the fussy eater can finally fill her supermarket trolley with treats after a hypnotherapist helped her try other foods.

It’s a change from her life before, when she would only scoff the processed dinners.

When childcare lecturer Candice started losing contact with friends, she knew she had to do something.

Pals had stopped inviting her out as they knew that she would not join them in restaurants.

Now Candice says her favourite food is pizza, inset. Just a year ago, the thought of chowing down on a margherita would have led to a panic attack.

The 26-year-old said: “When I was around 16, I started cooking for myself and it was always chicken dippers and chips. “For the past 10 years I haven’t eaten anything else for dinner. “Even when I built up the courage to try something, pizza for example, I’d end up having panic attacks. Physically and mentally I just couldn’t do it. “My friend said, ‘Why don’t you dip your chips in some curry?’

“As soon as she said that my hands started sweating and I was shaking – even the thought of it was a big trigger.”

Candice went on: “I remember three years ago I tried something I thought was a sausage roll but it turned out to be a cheese pasty. I was convinced I was poisoned. “I ended up with really bad stomach cramps, I felt nauseous and my acid reflux was so bad. “I realise it was boring and people say you get stuck in a routine but, for me, every day was a battle.” The Leeds lass changed her ways when her social life slumped.

She said: “Over the years my friends stopped inviting me to restaurants where they knew they wouldn’t have chips or chicken. “I understood it because I would be stressed just at the thought of it. But obviously when you see pictures of nights out, it gets to you.

“My family thought I was just being fussy, I have always been a picky eater – they had family meals every week and I was never invited.” Desperate for help, she found hypnotherapist Felix Economakis. Candice said: “When my boyfriend came home after the therapy he found me munching on strawberries. He was in shock.

“I also tried a banana, pasta, strawberries and a little pizza. I feel great now, my favourite food is pizza.”