You’ll never believe it: From Whopper to wow!
After falling victim to a cruel prank, Paula Tilley, 44, knew the takeaways had to go…
Unwrapping the grease-soaked paper, I held the warm burger in my hands, breathing in the salty scent before taking a huge bite. Despite having ordered a large Whopper meal in my local Burger King, it wasn’t enough. And just a few hours later, I was back in the takeaway chain, ordering the same thing all over again.
Fast food was my weakness and if I wasn’t devouring a burger and fries, I was scoffing a large pizza or fish and chips.
I’d not always lived on junk food but still my weight had yo-yoed up and down. Growing up, I’d always been bigger than most children in my class. By 19 I weighed 20st and wore a size 18-20. I had low self-esteem, hated the way I looked and would secretly scoff pasties and chocolate to make myself feel better. I knew the weight was creeping up but I chose to ignore it.
Filling the void
It wasn’t until 2011, when I was 35, that I really started piling on the pounds. I moved from my home in Weymouth to a small town in Devon for a new job managing a pizza shop. Not only was it a good career move, but there was free accommodation five minutes away from work, and the odd free pizza too. ‘I can’t wait,’ I told my friends.
But while the move was exciting at first, within days I realised my new surroundings also meant a lot of unknowns. I had no friends nearby and although I'd naively assumed I’d make plenty of new ones, it wasn’t that easy. When I was at work I was busy and on my days off I had nothing to do. I’d phone my friends and family back home, but they all had lives of their own.
Feeling lonely, I began scoffing family-sized bags of crisps while watching TV and, with easy access to greasy pizzas, I spent many nights scoffing slice after slice. When I was fed up with pizza, I’d venture out to the Burger King and order large Whopper meals for lunch and dinner.
Eating fast food seemed to numb the loneliness I was feeling, even if it was just for a few moments. But after I’d devoured my meals, I’d feel sluggish and even worse about myself – which just made me eat even more. Within six months I’d gained 5st. By February 2012, aged 37, I weighed 31st and could just about squeeze into a size 32.
My weight was putting too much pressure on my joints so I struggled to walk, and my takeaway diet affected my health in other ways too. My blood pressure was high and I had no energy at all – as soon as I got in from work I would slouch on the sofa and not move until bedtime. But in denial, I refused to give up my unhealthy habits.
Then, one night after work in March 2012, some of the women at the shop invited me out for drinks. By now I’d been living in Devon for nearly a year and still didn’t have many friends, so I agreed, believing it would do me good to socialise. That evening, I pulled on a baggy top and jeans, put on some lipstick and met my colleagues at a bar in town.
‘eating fast food numbed the loneliness i felt’
Fateful kiss
Of course I felt self-conscious to begin with. While they were all small size 10s, I looked huge in comparison. Still, after a couple of drinks I started to loosen up and found myself on the dance floor. After a few minutes, my feet were in agony so I took a little break, slumping my bulging thighs and bottom on to a bar stool.
Just seconds later a man in his early 30s approached me and told me how pretty I was. ‘Don’t be silly,’ I blushed, too embarrassed even to look at him. But he continued to flirt before leading me to the dance floor and slipping his arms around my waist. I could hear my work friends squealing with excitement as they watched us. He was 6ft tall and gorgeous and the drinks I’d had must have given
me a boost of confidence, because before I knew it I was kissing him. After, he winked at me and returned to the bar to meet his mates, leaving me to fill my friends in on what had happened.
But as I recounted everything, I saw him through the crowd, high-fiving his group at the bar. And over the noise of the crowd and the music, I heard someone shout, ‘Well done.’ I edged closer and saw him laughing. ‘Told you I could pull the biggest pig,’ he said. Mortified, I felt physically sick. I made an excuse to my friends and rushed for the exit.
As soon as I got home, I let the tears fall. I couldn’t believe I’d been so foolish to believe a man could possibly find me attractive. When I looked at myself in the mirror that night, I cringed at my bulging belly and whopping thighs.
Time to change
I thought about dieting, but it seemed like too mammoth a task. Only, a few weeks later, I went to the GP for a routine check-up. ‘If you don’t lose weight, you might not make it to 40,’ he warned. ‘Your heart won’t be able to cope.’ I was terrified. At 38, I was being told I might only have two more years left. I had to do something – now.
I knew I’d find it too difficult to kick my burger habit, and working at a pizza shop wouldn’t help. ‘There are too many temptations,’ I told my friends. So in May 2012, I used £12,000 from my savings to have gastric bypass surgery. Afterwards, I could only manage a few mouthfuls of food and within weeks I’d shed 2st. By March 2013, I’d lost another 10st, and now I weigh 13st 7lb, fitting into a size 14-16.
I felt fantastic and
‘My husband tells me i’m beautiful every day’
with each stone I lost, I seemed to gain an extra boost of confidence. Of course, losing weight quickly meant I was left with layers of saggy skin, but I was just thrilled to be the ‘thin friend’, instead of the ‘fat one’ and to know I wouldn’t fall victim to any cruel pranks again.
In fact, my love life began to change because in June 2013, I met David through an online dating site. Within a year we were married. I’m still saving up for surgery to remove the excess skin, but when David looks at me he doesn’t see that. ‘You're beautiful,’ he tells me every day. And finally, I believe it.
When I look back at the woman I used to be, the one who was lonely, miserable and searching for the answers in burger wrappers and pizza boxes, I feel ashamed of myself. In a strange way I have a lot to be thankful for in being the pig of the joke. If only they could all see me now.