{"id":229090,"date":"2025-07-01T10:49:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T10:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/229090\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T10:49:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T10:49:14","slug":"i-was-eating-20000-calories-a-day-with-my-triple-pizza-habit-and-ballooned-to-42st-then-six-words-changed-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/229090\/","title":{"rendered":"I was eating 20,000 calories a day with my triple pizza habit and ballooned to 42st – then six words changed me"},"content":{"rendered":"

TUCKING into the final slice of her cheese feast pizza, Teresa Parent\u2019s stomach grumbled.<\/p>\n

She might have just devoured a pizza<\/a> large enough to feed two but her insatiable appetite<\/a> meant that Teresa still had room for more.<\/p>\n

\"Woman<\/a><\/p>\n

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Teresa Parent ballooned to 43st after gorging on a diet of 20,000 calories a dayCredit: COVER IMAGES\"Woman<\/a><\/p>\n

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She lost 33st but the weight loss left her with an enormous amount of excess skinCredit: COVER IMAGES\"Woman<\/a><\/p>\n

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After having surgery to remove her loose skin, Teresa now fits into size 12 clothingCredit: C<\/p>\n

Putting the takeaway<\/a> box to one side, she lifts the lid of her second large pizza of the evening, and she has a third to demolish after that.<\/p>\n

It was part of a 20,000 calorie eating problem that saw the 45-year-old balloon to over 42st and saw her teetering on the brink of death.<\/p>\n

\u201cI struggled with diabetes<\/a>, high blood pressure, and I even had a mild heart attack in 2016,\u201d Teresa, from Long Beach, California<\/a>, says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I heard the words \u2018you won\u2019t be alive in five years\u2019 from doctors it shook me.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the wake-up call I needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

That set her on the path to an astonishing weight loss journey, shedding a staggering 33st and completely transforming her life.<\/p>\n

The teacher initially lost 12st naturally through diet and exercise before undergoing gastric bypass <\/a>surgery, which helped her shed an additional 14st.<\/p>\n

Teresa’s weight first spiralled out of control after her brother took his own life in 2001.<\/p>\n

“When he died I completely checked out,” Teresa previously said.<\/p>\n

“It was the very first traumatic loss I experienced and I blamed myself for not being able to help my brother.<\/p>\n

I weighed 42st but shed HALF my bodyweight to save my life – here’s what my \u2018hanging apron\u2019 of loose skin looks like<\/p>\n

“I stopped taking care of myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother killed herself a couple of years later and their deaths played a role in lack of self love and self care.”<\/p>\n

Teresa soon began emotional eating to deal with her depression and self-hate.<\/p>\n

She says: “I was eating a large pizza almost daily and stopping at fast food drive thru restaurants and hiding in my car while I ate.<\/p>\n

“Then I would go home and eat triple decker peanut butter sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, and tons of crisps, cookies, and junk food on a daily basis.”<\/p>\n

By 2016 Teresa, then 38, was so morbidly obese that she suffered a mild heart attack, which motivated her to seek medical advice.<\/p>\n

It was then that doctors warned her she could be dead in five years if she didn’t lose weight.<\/p>\n

Before she could undergo surgery Teresa put herself on a strict diet, restricting her calorie intake dramatically and walking as much as she could.<\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/a><\/p>\n

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It was losing her brother and mum is short succession that saw Teresa turn to food for comfortCredit: COVER IMAGES\"Portrait<\/a><\/p>\n

8<\/p>\n

Teresa initially lost 12st naturally before having weight loss surgery to help her lose the remaining weightCredit: COVER IMAGES\"Woman<\/a><\/p>\n

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She had the remaining five stone of loose skin removedCredit: COVER IMAGES<\/p>\n

Between 2017 and 2018 she lost 12st from diet and exercise alone and in 2018 she had gastric bypass surgery to reduce the size of her stomach which saw the final 14st melt away.<\/p>\n

But after losing the weight, she was left with three stone of excess skin, which caused significant discomfort and emotional distress.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe loose skin impacted my entire life\u2014mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally,\u201d she admits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt made me look much bigger than I actually was.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was painful, embarrassing, and shameful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teresa underwent a Fleur-de-Lis abdominoplasty, removing the hanging skin from her abdomen.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the skin is gone. It\u2019s done,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat skin was literally the last piece of all my grief. I made myself feel bad for so long, but I deserve to be happy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to be an 8XL, and now I fit into a size 12. I never imagined this would be my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teresa now helps others struggling with their weight to follow in her footsteps.<\/p>\n

Her TikTok is now a space where she shares recipes, weight loss tips, and raw, unfiltered moments of her journey.<\/p>\n

And she has gained over a million followers with her healthier versions of classic comfort foods, proving that losing weight doesn’t mean giving up the meals you love.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople comment on my videos all the time, saying, \u2018That\u2019s not really healthy or nutritious,\u2019 but let me tell you something\u2014this works for me,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve lost 33st and kept it off for years. I\u2019ve found ways to make my favourite foods healthier, and that\u2019s what matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

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People think that just because I\u2019ve lost the weight, everything is perfect. It\u2019s not<\/p>\n

Teresa Parent<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

From high-protein desserts to guilt-free comfort meals, Teresa’s recipes have captivated an army of fans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her recently released cookbook, Now We\u2019re Cooking, created in collaboration with Chef Rich Eaton, is flying off the shelves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI share my food to help others who have battled obesity,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Losing weight doesn\u2019t mean deprivation\u2014it means learning how to make smarter choices.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I can enjoy dessert every single day without feeling guilty, then so can you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond the kitchen, Teresa’s transformation has influenced those closest to her, including her husband, Mike.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople ask me all the time, \u2018How does your healthy lifestyle influence Mike?\u2019 Well, when we first started dating, he would eat big ice cream sandwiches all the time,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, after a year and a half together, this way of living is our new normal. Instead of reaching for processed junk, he asks for the healthier versions I make. It\u2019s just what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

What food do you need for a healthy diet?<\/p>\n

IF you want to have good health, a good way to start is from your diet.<\/p>\n

The Eatwell Guide<\/a>\u00a0shows that to have a healthy, balanced diet, people should try to:<\/p>\n