A woman has undergone a remarkable transformation after the most humiliating experience of her life. Summer Thomas, 27, weighed 19 stone 3 pounds and wore a UK dress size 22 at her heaviest. She has since lost 11 stone, leaving many unable to recognise her.
A Turning Point at the Fairground
Summer, a care assistant from Blaenau Gwent, Wales, used to consume share bags of crisps, entire packs of chocolate digestives, and greasy takeaways. She turned to food for comfort after losing her mother as a child and her stepbrother during her teenage years. Despite being self-conscious about her body, the wake-up call came when she visited a fairground with a friend and got stuck on a ride.
"As I sat down and pulled the seat belt over the top of me, the clip wouldn't go in," she said. "I thought I had gotten a dodgy one by mistake. The attendant saw I was struggling and came over to help – but it wouldn't click into place. I was told I had to get off as I was too big for the ride. It was a struggle getting off the seat and I thought I was stuck. Until my friend hoisted me up. I was so humiliated – everyone was staring at me."
Early Struggles with Food
Summer's unhealthy relationship with food began after her mother died from a brain haemorrhage. She would secretly pocket biscuits and sweets as a youngster, hiding the wrappers at the bottom of the bin. She remained unconcerned about her weight until starting secondary school. "I was surrounded by people who were so much smaller than me," she said. "I became self-conscious of how I looked. I tried to diet, but would quickly fall back into old habits."
When she got her first job at McDonald's, the easy access to burgers and fries caused her to pile on more weight. She joined her local Slimming World and shed three stone within a year, but this progress was short-lived after her stepbrother tragically died in a car crash. Her diet spiralled: breakfast became a sugary cup of tea with an entire pack of chocolate digestives, followed by sharing bags of crisps and large multi-packs of chocolate bars. Dinner was often McDonald's or KFC.
Public Humiliation
Her once loose-fitting work clothes became uncomfortably tight. "It had spiralled out of control. I tried to still enjoy myself and went on nights out with friends," she said. "But once, while in Wetherspoons, a person looked at me and said: 'Look at the size of her.' I felt sick. I knew I had let myself go, but for a stranger to say that about me – it was mortifying."
A New Beginning
Shortly before the fairground incident in September 2021, Summer had returned to Slimming World and had already dropped a stone. Determined to stick to her diet and stop being the "fat friend," she completely overhauled her eating habits. Breakfast became granola with strawberries, lunch was chicken and salad, and dinner was a low-calorie ready meal with vegetables. Share bags of crisps were swapped for a single packet of a fat-free alternative. Within two years, she shed five stone, but then progress stalled.
After losing hope, she discovered weight loss jabs and took out a monthly subscription for Mounjaro. Now, just over a year later, she weighs 8 stone 9 pounds and wears a UK dress size eight. "I feel fantastic. I no longer get out of breath walking upstairs anymore," she said. "And I take our dogs out for two long walks every single day. I'm finally happy with my weight and slowly coming off the injections."
Recently, someone in the supermarket muttered that she must have had gastric sleeve surgery. "I wasn't offended – it was a sign of how different I looked and the progress I've made. I'm now in control of my relationship with food. And I'm excited to get back on those fair rides."
