A morbidly obese woman who was addicted to junk food has shed a staggering 111 kilograms in an incredible body transformation.
Sarah Kumar lived off an unhealthy diet where she was gorging on 11,000 calories a day (46,000 kilojoules or five times the average adult intake) – a food intake that saw her tip the scales at 220 kilograms.
She said she would binge on a McDonald’s family box, two large pizzas, two blocks of chocolate and four litres of soft drinks daily.
But the 36-year-old, originally from Melbourne but now lives in Adelaide, had a ‘wake-up’ call after she stumbled across an old letter from a friend who begged her to lose weight.
She lost 50kg on her own by working out six times a week, swapping junk for lean protein and vegetables before shedding a further 61kg after undergoing a gastric sleeve surgery.
Here, she explains how her food addiction spiralled out of control after spending more than $22,000 a year on junk food.
Sarah Kumar dramatically shed half her body weight after weighing a staggering 220 kilos
She dramatically lost 50 kilograms on her own by working out six times a week, swapping junk for lean protein and vegetables
‘I was always a bit overweight as a kid, but it wasn’t until I was about 13 that my food addiction really took hold of me,’ she said.
‘I would eat amounts that are just not humanly possible and was always looking for ways to get more food.
‘As I got older, there were days where I would eat so much I thought I would die.
‘I would honestly lie in bed and think “this is it, I’m not going to wake up tomorrow”. But then I’d get up the next morning and do it all again. It was a vicious cycle.’
The project manager said she battled her food addiction behind closed doors.
‘I was a very secretive eater and would only ever binge in private,’ she said.
‘It was an absolute addiction. I couldn’t stand feeling like there was any space left in my stomach.
‘As soon as I started to feel like there was room I’d have to eat and fill that void.’
She said she would binge on a McDonald’s family box, two large pizzas, two blocks of chocolate and four litres of soft drinks daily
She explains how her food addiction spiralled out of control after spending more than $22,000 a year on junk food
Her binge eating had become so severe, she gorged on fast food after work.
‘I’d always have the biggest meal I could order for lunch when I was with my work colleagues,’ she said.
‘Then on the way home from work I’d always order two large burger meals from McDonalds at the very minimum. I’d often get a family box and eat it all.
‘Then later in the night I’d order two large pizzas, along with a garlic bread and a bottle of coke.
‘I’d even pretend there was someone else at home when the delivery guy came to the door, but it was always just me.
‘Then I’d have either two family sized blocks of chocolate or I’d eat a whole tub of ice cream for dessert.
‘Then I’d wash all that down with four litres of soft drink every day. I’d never drink water.
‘I was out of control. I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was extremely depressed, lonely and just miserable with my life.’
Her binge eating was so severe, she gorged on a McDonald’s family box and two pizzas
After her food addiction started in her early teens, Sarah (pictured now with her husband) continued to pile on the pounds until she tipped the scales at 140kg (22st) at just 19 years old
After her food addiction started in her early teens, Sarah continued to pile on the pounds until she tipped the scales at 140kg (22st) at just 19 years old.
But she said that was only the beginning of her destructive habits and she continued to put on weight and ‘abusing’ her body for another 10 years before she sought help.
Her poor diet and total lack of exercise left her feeling like ‘a struggle to survive’ every day and making even the simplest tasks – like fitting into public toilets – impossible.
But everything turned around at the age of 31 when Sarah’s company offered her a once in a lifetime job opportunity to leave Adelaide behind and move to Melbourne.
And while packing her belongings, she stumbled across an old letter a friend had written in 2004 pleading with her to lose weight- and the ‘wake-up call’ saw her transform her life.
After losing 50kg (7st 8lbs) on her own, she decided to take the plunge and went under the knife for gastric sleeve surgery (pictured now since losing weight)
She said she continued to put on weight and ‘abusing’ her body for another 10 years before she sought help (pictured at the height of her weight in 2014)
‘That letter was a sign from the universe that this needed to happen now to save my life,’ she said.
Sarah believes at her biggest she weighed 220kg, but her first official weigh in didn’t come until after four months of dieting and exercising, at which point she weighed 211kg (22st 2lbs).
After losing 50kg (7st 8lbs) on her own, she decided to take the plunge and went under the knife for gastric sleeve surgery.
‘So, I decided to have $14,000 AUD (£8,000) gastric bypass surgery by taking the money out of my superannuation [pension] on compassionate grounds. It was the best decision I ever made,’ she said.
Sarah is also now training for a fitness certificate so she can help others and has more than 1,000 Instagram fans following her ongoing weight loss journey.
She revealed her struggles and how she would avoid going to places because of her size
The morbidly obese woman has shed a staggering 111kg (pictured with her personal trainer)
Sarah is also now training for a fitness certificate so she can help others and has more than 1,000 Instagram fans following her ongoing weight loss journey
Sarah said: ‘My life was so lonely and miserable, I wouldn’t even really call it living.
‘People don’t realise how hard it really is for an obese person just to exist in the world. I’d always turn down different opportunities because of my size.’
She opened up about her struggles and how she would avoid going to places because of her size.
‘I couldn’t go to the carnival because I knew I wouldn’t fit on any rides,’ she said.
‘The beach is one of my favorite places in the world, but I’d always avoid it like the plague because I would never want to wear bathers.
‘If I was going out to dinner, I’d always have to look up online at their seating arrangements because if it was a booth, I’d never be able to fit.
‘People don’t realise how hard it really is for an obese person just to exist in the world. I’d always turn down different opportunities because of my size,’ she said
While packing her belongings, she stumbled across an old letter a friend (pictured) had written in 2004 pleading with her to lose weight- and the ‘wake-up call’ saw her transform her life
The happily married woman now looks unrecognisable after going from a size 28 to a size 16
‘Even just public toilets. People don’t realise how hard it is for an obese person to get in and of those things.
‘Everything was just a nightmare and it was always easier just to stay home and eat alone.
‘But when I got this new job I knew it was my chance to start a new life and be the person I’ve always wanted to be.
‘I started by making better food choices and trying to move more.
‘Then I joined a gym. On my first day, I could only walk for six minutes at an extremely slow pace before I was exhausted. But I went, and from then I just built up my strength.’
Now the happily married woman looks unrecognisable after going from a size 28 to a size 16.
‘I’m working out six days a week and I’ve lost 111kg (17st 4lbs), with my goal weight being to get down to 89kg (14st),’ she said.
‘I’m finally at peace with myself. I have a whole new life and I’ve never been happier.’