A mother-of-two who spent £420 a week on takeaways and grew to over 23 stone has undergone a dramatic transformation after life-saving surgery abroad.
A £60-a-day habit that led to a health crisis
Tammy Jones, 35, from Wolverhampton, was a self-confessed food addict whose daily routine revolved around her next meal. At her heaviest, she weighed 23 stone 10 lbs and wore a size 32. Her typical day involved a huge fast-food breakfast, four Greggs pasties for lunch, and a large Chinese takeaway for dinner, all washed down with litres of Coca-Cola.
"I spent £60 a day on takeaways because I was having them for breakfast, lunch and dinner," Tammy admitted. Her habit was so severe she would eat £40 of Chinese food leftovers for breakfast the following morning.
The physical toll was immense. By age 31, she needed a walking stick and worked from home due to a lack of confidence. Her health reached a critical point in 2021 when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and then developed pneumonia. "My lungs were being crushed by my weight. I could have died, and it was petrifying," she recalled.
The turning point: surgery and a new regimen
Faced with this life-threatening scare, Tammy decided to act. In September 2022, she flew to Turkey and used the money she would have spent on food to pay £3,500 for a gastric sleeve operation. Her brother and husband helped fund the procedure, fearing they would lose her.
"The recovery wasn’t easy. Food is an addiction like alcohol and drugs; it was mentally exhausting," she said. "I had no choice but to get past that because my stomach was 20% smaller than before."
To aid further weight loss, Tammy began using the medication Mounjaro in August 2024, costing her £150 a month for a year. She has completely changed her eating habits, swapping bagels for bagel thins, weighing all her food, and managing treats like chocolate buttons by freezing them and having just a few at a time.
A life transformed and a bikini holiday ahead
The results have been extraordinary. Tammy has lost a total of 13 stone and now weighs 11 stone 4 lbs, fitting into a size eight. She has also undergone further cosmetic surgery, a £7,500 breast lift and tummy tuck in September 2025, funded by her former junk food budget.
Most importantly, she has reversed her type 2 diabetes diagnosis. The weight loss has revolutionised her daily life and confidence. "I can take my kids to the theme park. Before, I wouldn’t have even risked going on a ride," she said.
Tammy is now looking forward to a holiday in Tunisia in June, where she plans to wear a bikini for the first time in years. "I used to dread summer," she said. "My confidence is through the roof. People don’t recognise me... It feels so good."
