A beautician who gorged on seven takeaways a week has turned her life around – after losing nearly 100 pounds in just 18 months.
Sinead McCarthy, 31, tipped the scales at 280 pounds during the first lockdown and said she felt ‘disgusting’ after eating family-sized chocolate bars every night.
But mom-of-one McCarthy was desperate to make a change and joined up with a coach who has helped her trim down 10 sizes.
She committed to a diet plan eating 1,700 calories a day, began weightlifting in the gym and made sure to get in between 10,000 and 15,000 steps a day.
Self-employed McCarthy has newfound confidence after slimming to down to under 180 pounds and was able to escape an abusive relationship because of the transformation.
McCarthy, from Barrhead, a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, in the United Kingdom, said she hated getting up in the morning because of how she looked and would avoid mirrors.
She refused to have her hair done or wear make-up because she didn’t see the point – but was envious of her clients who enjoyed self-care treatments.
McCarthy said: “The weight piled on gradually for a few years, I didn’t really see how bad it was until it was too late.
“I was having loads of takeaways, at least five a week but sometimes seven, and they were enough to two people.
“My snacking was out of control too, I wouldn’t eat normal-sized chocolate bars it would have the big family-sized ones.
“It was disgusting.
“I hated what I saw in the mirror so I just avoided looking in them, so then you don’t really realize how bad things get.
“I took no pride in my personal appearance at all.
“I wouldn’t get my hair done, I wouldn’t wear make-up, I didn’t do any self-care – I just thought what’s the point.
“That was really hard given my job.
“I would see what treatments girls were getting and wish it was me, I always felt inferior to everyone else around me.
“I was in an extremely controlling relationship for about four years.
“He controlled what I ate, where I went, what I did – everything, so I wasn’t allowed to go to the gym.”
McCarthy now eats protein-packed meals and goes to LIFT Glasgow gym seven days a week because she loves how it makes her feel.
She said: “I started out with a PT at the gym and then I signed up for a coach who wrote a program for me in the gym and a nutritional plan.
“I do weightlifting in the gym nearly seven days a week now and make sure to get some cardio done too.
“The first workout I did was horrific, two minutes in I thought I was going to pass out and had to sit down, it was so hard.
“But I was determined to get the weight off and change my life.
“The gym has become more of a mental thing for me now because it makes me feel so good and sets me up for the day.
“I don’t restrict myself anymore if I want to have a cake I will have one because one cake is not going to ruin all the work I have done.
“It’s like a physical and mental weight has been lifted off me now.
“I wake up glad to be here now, before it was such a struggle getting up every day.
“I lost myself for a few years, all my friends really noticed it and now they will say it’s so nice to have the real me back.
“It’s been a complete life transformation for me.
“I feel like I am just starting to live my life now which is incredible.
“I have a newfound confidence and freedom in my life like never before.”
McCarthy’s before menu:
Breakfast – Full fried breakfast
Lunch – McDonald’s or KFC with enough for 2 people
Dinner – Takeaway, again enough for over 2 people
Snacks – Chocolate and chips
McCarthy’s after menu:
Breakfast – Boiled eggs and porridge
Lunch – Tuna/chicken, rice and veg
Dinner – Chicken/steak, potatoes and veg
Snacks – Protein bar or boiled egg
Produced in association with SWNS.
