I was addicted to food and ate until I was sick - then I lost 6st in six months

Mum Becca Goddard tipped the scales at a size 20 after her battle with post-partum depression led to a binge-eating disorder that left her eating till she felt sick. But now, following a £3,500 weight-loss surgery in Turkey, the nursery teacher has shed an incredible six stone and transformed into a size six, claiming it's made her a "better mum".

Her love for sweet treats like cakes and biscuits saw her weight reach 14st 1lb on her petite five-foot stature. However, she's now successfully slimmed down to 8st after getting a gastric sleeve procedure done in Istanbul in summer 2024.

Becca, 32, from Thanet, Kent, said: "When I was suffering with my binge-eating disorder, I would eat whenever I was bored and never felt full. Food was an addiction for me and I kind of let myself go.

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"I was in a horrendous state mentally, I was withdrawn and I isolated myself. I had been considering surgery at the back of my mind for a long time, and in the end I thought 'why not?'.

"I couldn't believe that by the end of 2024 I had dropped to 8st. I feel amazing now and my kids say I'm more fun - my daughter can't wait for me to enter the parents race at her school sports day."

Falling pregnant with her first child at 17 in 2010, her metabolism quickly returned her to her slender pre-maternity form.

But, second time around in 2015, things didn't pan out as smoothly, leading Becca to fight not only with extra weight but also severe postnatal depression. Her comfort food habits made her weight soar from 9st to a hefty 13st.

She said: "I used food as my escape route, I would eat if I was happy or sad. I kept gaining and gaining."

Although she experienced periods of shedding pounds, her dedication to fitness wavering, her weight proved fickle, bouncing up and down intermittently. Her life took a sharp downturn in late 2017 due to health scares and being involved in a car crash, which took a toll on her mental wellbeing, resulting in her seeking solace in eating again.

Recalling those challenging times, she confessed: "I would eat and eat until I was physically sick, anything I could get my hands on."

Post-delivery of her third daughter in 2021, the scales read 14st 1lb, clothing her in size 20 outfits. She added: "I became more and more reliant on food."

Becca's weight issues also encroached upon her health, leaving her grappling with increased , fatty liver disease, and constant backaches, despite bravely flaunting her fuller figure in beauty pageants for plus-sized women, where she unexpectedly triumphed.

Becca found herself unable to keep up with her kids at the park due to breathlessness and fatigue. Making a bold decision, she invested £3,500 in gastric sleeve surgery in the summer of 2024 and, by that year, she was over the moon to have shed an impressive 6st.

She explained: "I had to change my diet and my relationship with food completely. But I found out that by losing the weight, I reversed my heath conditions - my blood pressure is perfect, my fatty liver is gone, and I don't have back issues any more."

However, not everyone backed Becca's transformative choice, with some loved ones skinny-shaming her post-surgery success.

She revealed: "I've had a lot of people say 'you're too thin', and 'you look sick', and 'stop losing weight'. I got a lot of negativity. But nobody said I was 'too fat' before - so why is it ok to say I'm 'too skinny' now?"

Becca isn't just shrinking in size; she's expanding her horizons by entering Miss Bariatric - a pageant celebrating individuals post-bariatric surgery. This coming November she'll compete for the title, yet her most cherished win is enhancing her mum role to her three daughters aged 14, nine and four.

She reflected: "My children have said I'm a better mum and more fun. I can kick a ball with them and not get out of breath. And my middle daughter can't wait for me to enter the parents race at her school sports day."

Becca is on a mission to motivate others not to lose hope and to tackle the stereotypes surrounding bariatric surgery.

She said: "I'm a size six now - I never imagined I would be able to say that. I feel amazing, I've re-found myself after I lost my bubbly side. I want to break the stigma around gastric sleeve surgery - it's changed my life."

Becca's diet before weight loss journey

Breakfast - two pieces of toast, sweets, bowl of cereal or two

Lunch - big bag of crisps, biscuits (pack), anything chocolate

Dinner - huge plate of food or take away

Snack - anything sweet

Drink - Not much - except for occasionally a glass of fizzy

Becca's diet after weight loss journey

Breakfast - small bowl of Cheerios

Lunch - tuna salad or salmon.

Dinner - 70g chicken, potato, and a good amount of vegetables.

Snack - fruit, crab sticks, prawns.

Drink - 1.5 litres of water and a protein coffee