Woman hooked on fast food loses 7st with incredible McDonald's and KFC fakeaways

04 December 2023 , 12:12

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Georgia refused to eat 'bland food' when she started her weight-loss journey and began cooking homemade takeaways

She was once a self-confessed 'secret eater' - but now, Georgia Tulk has dropped 7 stone by making her favourite takeaways at home.

Georgia's battle with her weight started at a very young age and she would often turn to food for comfort when bullies in school targeted her over her size. It only worsened when she got her first car and started stopping at drive-thrus, like McDonald's and Starbucks, for both breakfast and lunch.

She became hooked on fast food and regularly indulged in Domino's pizza and Ben and Jerry's ice cream in the evening. At her heaviest, she weighed 25st 7lbs and wore a dress size 28. "I was definitely a big secret eater," she said. "When I was younger, I was insecure and lacked a lot of confidence. I struggled with nasty comments from people, and food was my escape."

Georgia weighed 25st 7lbs when she was hooked on fast food like McDonald's (Georgia Tulk / SWNS)

She has lost 7st so far by cooking her own versions of her favourite junk foods (Georgia Tulk / SWNS)

Georgia, from Southampton, Hampshire, tried to lose weight a few times over the years, but nothing seemed to work - and it had a huge impact on her self-confidence. She once "held in a wee for seven hours" during a flight to Dubai because she was too embarrassed to walk down the aisle. On another occasion, she was so mortified to ask for a seatbelt extender on a plane, that she spent the whole flight without one.

"I could never wear nice fashionable clothes because of my size," she said. "I made excuses not to join in and do things like paintballing because I feared the overalls would fit." During a trip to Thorpe Park in 2010, Georgia was asked to step off the ride because the rollercoaster strap wouldn't fit. It was one of many humiliating experiences that forced her to make a change to her lifestyle.

Dad furious after boy, 6, orders over $1,000 of takeaways while his mum is out

Georgia has swapped takeaway kebabs, burgers and pizzas for homemade and healthier versions (Georgia Tulk / SWNS)

In November 2022, communications officer Georgia downloaded a calorie-counting app and signed up to the gym. She got a personal trainer and completely overhauled her diet, ditching the takeaways for healthy, whole foods. But as a foodie, she was determined to make meals she enjoyed eating. "I didn't want to eat bland, boring food for the sake of losing weight," she explained.

"I loved junk food, all the things that are bad for you, so I decided to make my own healthy versions. One of my favourites is a Chinese takeaway so I'll make my own chow mein and egg fried rice from scratch. It has so much less salt, fat and sugar in it. I do desserts like ice cream sundaes with low-calorie ice cream and sugar-free sauces. I get creative too - I recently made a Nando's inspired cheese toastie with lean chicken breast and low-fat cheese."

She makes Big Mac inspired tacos instead of McDonald's with mince meat, gherkins and chips (Georgia Tulk / SWNS)

Georgia started documenting her incredible meals and recipes on Instagram and was blown away by the response. She gained over 15,000 followers on her account, @georgiaskitchen_. "I've made healthy versions of McDonald's breakfast muffins, KFC chicken and a Chinese takeaway. I make pizzas, tacos, burgers, cheese toasties - nothing is off limits," she said.

"I'll swap out butter or cheese for low-fat versions and use lean meat. I make everything from scratch, so you know exactly what is going into it. I'll never have a lettuce bun instead of actual bread! I love food and I've found healthier ways to enjoy it." She has managed to lose 7 stone and now weighs 18st 7lb, fitting into a dress size 22.

Her Nando's inspired toastie has low-fat cheese and lean chicken breast sandwiched between bread (Georgia Tulk / SWNS)

"I genuinely have confidence now and my mindset has completely changed," she said. "I'm still on my weight loss journey but I actually enjoying the process this time around. I always tell people to find what works for you and run with it. Weight loss isn't a spirit - it doesn't matter how it takes you to get there. Allow yourself freedom to enjoy food and don't beat yourself up if you slip up. Just keep going and don't give up."

Do you have a weight loss story to share? Get in touch. Email [email protected].

Katie Pearson