Woman who was ‘eating herself to death’ loses 20st after years of cruel jibes

ok.co.uk:

At her heaviest, teacher Harriet Peacock weighed 33st 3lbs and admits that putting on her own socks was a struggle.The 46 year old recounts the ordeal she faced going to the doctors to be weighed and having two scales pulled out, as well as the shame of walking down the street where she once cruelly had a milkshake thrown at her.

She says: “Being very overweight had a huge impact on my mental health.The fat-shaming I would endure was soul destroying. One time a group of men pushed me over and to add to the humiliation, I couldn’t get back up.” “Another time a milkshake was thrown at me in the street.These incidents just pushed me further towards my comfort – food.” For Harriet having “been overweight her whole life” and the switch from teaching in a school to becoming an online tutor prompted her to turn towards food more and more. “I poured my heart and soul into my students which often left me exhausted and reaching for the nearest takeaway when I finished work.

I snored loudly and slept terribly which only added to my tiredness.” At her heaviest, 5ft 3in Harriet would normally skip breakfast, eat a shop bought sandwich with crisps and sweets for lunch, another packet of crisps as a snack and have a Chinese takeaway for dinner.This was until her sister Alison called Harriet’s local Slimming World Consultant and despite her fears over facing the scales, Harriet was surprised at what awaited her at her local centre. “I was on the brink of a panic attack that first night, I did it though, and everyone was so lovely once I arrived.

My mum would drive me to the venue because I couldn’t walk the short distance to the group, and then she would wait in the car until I was finished.