Susan McGinnis, 28, weighed 14 stone when she was nine and 28 stone at her heaviest. After shedding 15 stone, she says she no longer fears everyday things like restaurant booths, theme park rides, and plastic garden chairs. But she admits the real battle began after the weight came off.
Childhood Struggles and Bullying
Susan's problems with eating started in early childhood. She was bullied from the age of six for her size and treated badly by strangers. She said she never felt scared walking alone at night because she believed: "I'm too fat to be a sexualised target."
She started comfort eating and snacking in secret as a child, continuing into adulthood. She told creatorizine.com: "I don't remember a time in my life I wasn't aware of it or didn't feel self-conscious – even being five or six and realising I was bigger than the other little kids."
At 11 or 12, she went on a three-day school camp where she weighed 17 stone, and her mother was shocked. Her mom tried diets, but nothing worked as Susan kept eating in secret, having up to three plates of food in one sitting. She recalled: "I was incredibly lonely as a child and often used food and TV as a way to self-soothe."
Surgeries and Realisation
After years of failed diets, Susan weighed 28 stone at 21. In 2019, she had gastric sleeve surgery costing £1,500 and lost about seven stone, but still felt out of control. Two years later, she had a second surgery converting it to a gastric bypass at £4,700, shedding eight stone quickly.
Despite the weight loss, her eating habits and emotional struggles remained. She said: "I was confused because being thin was supposed to fix everything. But it was like a fog had been lifted and all these issues underneath the weight loss had finally been revealed and hit me like a truck." She did consistent weekly psych sessions for two years, which she called life-changing.
Diagnosis and New Chapter
Susan was diagnosed with binge eating disorder and atypical anorexia. In 2024, she became a mum to daughter Faewyne, but regained six stone. She started the weight loss jab Wegovy and shed the weight again to a size 12.
She said: "I eat to live; I don't live to eat. People are nicer to me in every way. Waiters are nicer, servers are more willing to help and staff in stores approach me more." She also noted that men behave differently towards her now, and she is still getting used to it.
Her advice to others: "Nurture yourself like you would a child, a plant, sit with your past experiences, sit with the child version of you. And lastly, you didn't get big overnight, you will not get smaller overnight. This takes time, new habits take time and when, not if they come back, it doesn't mean you're off track, it's all part of the journey."
