A woman whose appetite was so out of control she used to eat raw bacon has shed almost 150 pounds and cured a chronic skin condition that haunted her for decades.
Robyn Russell, 50, used to gorge on Big Macs in bed and scoff enormous fried breakfasts as her weight escalated to 326 pounds at her heaviest and saw her wearing a size XXXXL.
Since she was 15-years-old, the grandmother-of-two was plagued with a chronic skin condition, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, which doctors believed was exasperated by her size.
Miracle: A woman (pictured) whose appetite was so out of control she used to eat raw bacon has shed almost 150 pounds and cured a chronic skin condition that haunted her for decades
Overweight: Robyn Russell, 50, used to gorge on Big Macs and fried breakfasts as her weight escalated to 326 pounds at her heaviest and saw her wearing a size XXXXL
The patient registration technician’s right underarm would frequently break out in huge sores and boils which were so painful she often had to wear a sling.
However, Robyn, from Melbourne, Florida, managed to ditch her terrible habits and shed an incredible 148 pounds.
The weight loss also cleared up her chronic condition and gave her a new-found confidence.
‘My weight became a problem when I was a teenager. I was secret-eating in the middle of the night.
‘I would wait until my parents went to bed and I would get up and raid the kitchen.
Disease: Since she was 15, the grandmother-of-two was plagued with a chronic skin condition, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, which doctors believed was due to her size
Change: Robyn, from Melbourne, Florida, ditched her bad habits and shed an incredible 148 pounds which cleared up her chronic condition and gave her a new-found confidence
Life-changing: It was when a doctor told her that she would die young if she didn’t shift the pounds that Robyn was motivated to change her life for the better
‘I would eat anything in sight. I would even eat raw bacon, it was ridiculous.
‘My mom used to always say it was like I had a tapeworm inside me because I never stopped eating.
‘As I got older and became an adult, it got so much worse.
‘I could sit and eat three pork chops in between meals. I just didn’t have any control.’
Robyn’s weight got even worse when she was going through a divorce in 2006, following a battle with infertility and miscarriage.
It was when a doctor told her that she would die young if she didn’t shift the pounds that Robyn was motivated to change her life for the better.
Runner: The patient registration technician started walking and built it up to running and has run four half-marathons and has ten race medals all together
Fresh: The mom has dropped more than six dress sizes in five years, but more importantly, her skin condition has completely cleared up
She knew she wanted to be around to support her daughter Erica, 28, and to watch her grandchildren Marvianna, four, and Zyanaya, one, grow up.
‘It was at that point where I just realized I was the only one who could save my life. In September 2011 I set out on my journey. I’ve tried every diet under the sun.
‘Atkins, diet pills, you name it I’ve tried it. But I realized the only thing that really would work was a sensible diet and exercise.
‘I just stopped with the greasy foods and I started walking and I eventually built it up to running. Since 2011, I’ve run four half-marathons and have ten race medals all together.’
The mom has dropped more than six dress sizes in five years – but more importantly, her skin condition has completely cleared up.
‘When I started losing weight my skin started clearing up, it was almost a miracle.
‘I had struggled with the pain and discomfort for years, and finally it was going away.
‘I used to be on so much medication to deal with it, but now I’m not on anything. I feel free.’