Mum loses 17 stone after being 'too big' for rollercoaster

A mum who splurged £400 a month on takeaways has lost an incredible 17 stone after she realised she couldn't fit on a rollercoaster. Rachel Pashley tipped the scales at a 30st 13lbs and wore a size 32.

But it was when she had a family trip to a theme park that she got her wake-up call. The 32-year-old mum from Brighton was devastated when she couldn't join her two sons, Ethan, 13, and Jenson, 12, on a ride, leaving her sidelined as they had fun.

Following a £12,500 gastric bypass in May 2021, Rachel has slimmed down dramatically to 12st and now fits comfortably into a size 12. Her transformation has since taken her to Disneyland Paris, where she was able to enjoy all of the rides.

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"My sons love rollercoasters," Rachel shared with What's the Jam. "We went to a theme park and I realised that I couldn't go on the ride, so my friend had to go on with my kids.

"It was sad. I couldn't walk up the stairs, and I was always too tired, so I'd take my kids to breakfast club and go back to bed.

"I couldn't run around after my children. We never went on bike rides, we never did anything.

"Now, we can do anything, bike rides, theme parks, days out in London, days at the gym and swimming. We've been to Disneyland Paris, and I didn't have to worry about getting on the rides. It was amazing."

Before shedding the weight, she recalled how clothes shopping made her feel low. "I was really depressed before and struggled with buying clothing, but I'm so much more confident now", she continued.

"The best part of this journey isn't the weight loss, it's getting my life back. I can finally be present for my boys, enjoy days out, and feel proud of the woman I've become."

Speaking about her eating habits, she said: "I used to eat rubbish all day and barely move, I just didn't have the energy. Now, I fuel my body with real food, I move every day, and I finally feel like I'm living, not just existing."

Rachel had always embraced her "curvy" figure and was a size 16 when her son Jenson was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma. He has now been in remission for a decade.

His semi-permanent make-up artist mum said Jenson's diagnosis marked a "turning point" as she sought solace in food. She spent £100 weekly on takeaways because she lacked the time to cook or exercise amidst hospital visits.

Jenson's remission has brought Rachel immense relief. She said: "That period was horrendous.

"It was 18 months' worth of treatment, sitting in a hospital room and massively comfort eating. He went into intensive care, and that was the turning point.

"I ate absolute crap. It was a family-sized chocolate bar every night on the way home from the hospital.

"I'd have a full English for breakfast, a meal deal from Co-Op, chocolate and a share bag of crisps for lunch. We had takeaways six days a week and I never cooked. If I did, it was freezer food.

"There were a lot of kebabs and Domino's. The delivery driver knew us."

Now loving cooking and looking into what foods are best for her, she proudly admitted: "We haven't had a takeaway at all this year and we're really proud of ourselves."

Nowadays, Rachel commits to working out four times a week. She spent another £12,000 on an arm and breast lift in January this year and intends to complete her transformation with a tummy tuck in September.

Rachel continued: "I remember the day when I was walking to the shop for some binge eating food because I'd had a really bad day and was at my heaviest, and I was crying my eyes out.

"I bumped into someone I used to work with, and she said she'd had weight loss surgery and it was the most amazing thing she'd ever done, so I went home and booked a consultation.

"When I was on the journey, I just wanted to get back to a size 16, but I kept going. I fit into a small skirt in Zara now, and it feels amazing because I never thought I'd get to this point.

"Someone once told me to go and eat another sausage roll. And online, I tried to do plus-sized fashion, and people would say I could barely breathe trying on clothes. It was horrible."

Talking about her transformation, she said: "Now, people can't believe how much I've changed. In Aldi, I bumped into a girl I used to work with and said hello, and she completely blanked me. Then she messaged me asking if that was me, and she didn't recognise me. It feels amazing."

Rachel is sharing her experience to motivate others battling with their weight. She chronicles her weight loss transformation on her social media account @‌racheljadepashley.

She concluded: "I wanted to share my story because I know what it's like to feel completely lost in your body and stuck in a cycle that feels impossible to break.

"If someone out there sees this and realises change is possible, then that's everything."

Rachel diet before and after

BEFORE

• Breakfast: Full English
• Lunch: Meal deal sandwich, family-sized chocolate bar and a share bag of crisps
• Dinner: Kebab or Domino's
• Snacks: Family-sized chocolate, a sharing bag of crisps and six cans of Coke a day

NOW

• Breakfast: Homemade granola, yoghurt, berry compote
• Lunch: Couscous, Mediterranean veg, hummus and salad
• Dinner: Steak and prawns, homemade chicken kebab
• Snacks: Occasional bag of crisps and one Coke Zero a day