A mother who lived off fast food admits she has ‘more life opportunities’ since dropping four dress sizes, saying that her 22st frame prevented her from looking for jobs because she was ‘lazy’.
Chantelle Rickford, 30, from Northwood, London, who would scoff McDonald’s meals for breakfast and lunch, then treat herself to a takeaway Indian for dinnerwore a size 24 at her heaviest.
She also snacked on up to 50 packets of crisps a week and wore a wardrobe full of frumpy, black long-sleeved t-shirts and leggings.
Chantelle’s turning point came when her weight prevented her from having the confidence to apply for jobs.
Chantelle Rickford, 30, from Northwood, London, saw her weight spiral to 22st as she scoffed takeaways and fast food for every meal of the day. Pictured: Chantelle after weight loss surgery
Chantelle would wear frumpy black long-sleeved tops and leggings before having a gastric band fitted. Pictured: Chantelle before losing 9st
The mother-of-one decided to tackle her soaring weight by going under the knife and having a gastric band fitted in 2014.
Chantelle quickly lost 4st but suffered complications when the £6,000 band dissolved in her stomach three years later.
Before having another operation to fit a gastric sleeve in 2019, Chantelle piled on another 4st.
However, the nanny now looks unrecognisable after dropping 9st and four dress sizes to weigh 12st 13lbs – and says her size 14 frame has left her feeling more confident than ever.
Chantelle said: ‘I really have a new lease of life, I was living in a shell before I lost weight.
‘I loved bread, pasta, cheese and takeaways and I would always go to McDonalds for breakfast and lunch – and usually end up ordering in an Indian or Chinese takeaway at night.
‘I don’t eat takeaways anymore because I love to cook.
Chantelle said being overweight affected her relationships because she lacked confidence in addition to being at high risk of diabetes. Pictured: Chantelle after shedding 9st
‘I can completely enjoy a normal lifestyle without worrying about what I’m eating.
‘It really affected my confidence, I never got my arms out, I only wore long sleeved black tops and I didn’t own a pair of jeans, I lived in leggings.’
Chantelle’s turning point came when her weight prevented her from having the confidence to apply for jobs and doctors warned that she was at a high risk of diabetes.
She said: ‘My weight affected relationships and I didn’t work because I had no confidence.
Chantelle said she doesn’t think she would be able to get a job at size 24 because people assume you’re lazy
Chantelle began eating home cooked meals and went to the gym three times a week, as well as having an operation to fit a gastric band. Pictured: Before shedding 9st
‘I don’t think I would have been able to get a job because when you’re that size, people think you’re lazy, which I was.’
Determined to slim down, Chantelle ditched her takeaway habit in favour of smaller, healthier portions, hit the gym three times per week and had an operation to fit a gastric band.
However, she was forced to have the gastric band removed after it started dissolving in her stomach causing her to have seizures.
She said: ‘I was more bulimic with the gastric band than living a healthy lifestyle.
Chantelle said a gastric band made it difficult to keep food down, caused seizures and gave her eczema
‘I was really ill with seizures, it gave me eczema and I couldn’t keep any food down.’
The band was replaced with a gastric sleeve and two months ago, Chantelle travelled to Lithuania for a tummy tuck, costing £5,000 to perfect her body transformation.
She said: ‘My gastric sleeve was the best thing I’d ever done. I’ve got more life opportunities now I’ve lost weight’
‘I have so much more power over food and what I eat.
Chantelle said a gastric sleeve was the ‘best thing’ she has ever done, as she can eat what she wants but in smaller portions. Pictured: Having her gastric sleeve operation
‘I can eat what I want but in smaller portions because my biggest problem before was portion sizes.
‘When I was between the ages of five and ten, I wasn’t big at all, I was the opposite, my mum took me to the doctors because I was a really fussy eater and I was quite small.
‘When I got to ten, I started putting on a bit of weight and I had a baby at 16 so that made me gain weight.
‘I am an emotional eater, whether I’m happy or sad and I’m a massive foodie.
Chantelle said she started to gain weight around age 10 and continued following the birth of her child at age 16. Pictured: Having her gastric sleeve operation
‘I’m not really skinny now because I like having curves, I like having a bum and hips.’
Chantelle is speaking out about her weight loss to warn of the dangers of gastric bands.
She said: ‘I think people go for them rather than a sleeve because they’re cheaper.
‘Anyone thinking of getting a gastric band should really think about it because they can be really dangerous.’
Chantelle said people go for a gastric band because it’s cheaper but they should really think about it because it’s dangerous. Pictured: After losing 9st