KATHRYN Mulkern’s love of McDonald’s had become a fully-fledged addiction. Weighing in at 20 stone, she found herself gorging on her favourite food for breakfast and lunch – every single day. The now 39-year-old started her day with a sausage and egg McMuffin before packing in 20 chicken nuggets, a double cheeseburger and large fries […]
KATHRYN Mulkern’s love of McDonald’s had become a fully-fledged addiction.
Weighing in at 20 stone, she found herself gorging on her favourite food for breakfast and lunch – every single day.
The now 39-year-old started her day with a sausage and egg McMuffin before packing in 20 chicken nuggets, a double cheeseburger and large fries for dinner.
Lulling herself into thinking skipping lunch was the healthy option, she was soon struck with bouts of depression and anxiety, as she piled on the pounds.
It was only when she went to see her doctor that Kathryn got a stark, but much-needed wake-up call – she was eating her way to an early death.
He warned her blood pressure had rocketed to an all-time high and her cholesterol was reaching dangerous levels.
Determined to do something about her weight and poor health, the office worker decided to sign up to Weight Watchers.
And in the five years since she joined the weight-loss group in 2014, Kathryn has shed almost half her body weight and discovered a new-found love of the gym.
She’s lost an incredible nine stone and dropped six dress sizes and feels more confident than ever flaunting her ten stone body.
The super slimmer, from Maine, US, said: “I feel disgusted by what I used to eat; I was slowly killing myself with every bite.
“As the weight dropped, I was shocked by what the human body was capable of and fell in love with lifting weights.
“It isn’t about the number on the scale anymore for me, it is how I feel on the inside which is healthy and good.
“I feel blessed to be alive.”
BEFORE
Breakfast – Sausage and egg McMuffin with cheese, two large fries and a large fizzy drink
Dinner – 20 nuggets, large fries, Double whopper and soda
Evening snacks – doughnuts/cakes/ice cream
NOW
Breakfast – Black coffee and protein shake
Two low fat multigrain waffles half a cup of blueberries
Snack – Sliced cucumber and hummus
Lunch – Grilled chicken salad with light dressing balsamic
Workout and protein shake
Dinner – Salad or chicken, vegetables and cauliflower rice or fish
Friday – one doughnut
Before Kathryn joined Weight Watchers she believed skipping lunch would compensate overindulging on McDonald’s every day for lunch and dinner.
She admitted that she would snaffle boxes of 20 McDonalds chicken nuggets at a time and still feel hungry.
I feel disgusted by what I used to eat; I was slowly killing myself with every bite.
Kathryn Mulkern
She added: “I have always been overweight, there isn’t one photo from my childhood where I am not the big one.
“I am from an Italian and Irish background, so our diet was full of pasta and breads, it was so good for the soul but not for my body.
“As I got older, I continued eating sweets and then takeouts when I moved out of my family home.
“It was easier to grab a McDonalds on my way to work and then on my return, I knew I was obese, but I thought if I skipped lunch then it would be OK to stuff my face on the evening.
“I suffered with anxiety and depression because I hated the way I looked so this would cause me to comfort eat.
“My blood pressure was through the roof and my cholesterol was terrible, the doctor warned me if I don’t lose weight, I will eventually die.”
Instead of all the McDonald’s Kathyrn’s diet now consists of healthy dishes including chicken salad, rice and fish.
However, she still allows herself the occasional treat and has one doughnut every Friday as well as low fat waffles for breakfast.
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