22st mum lost 10st after theme park 'humiliation'

Danielle McGill was consuming 10,000 calories a day

A 22s mum who scoffed 10,000 calories a day has halved her body weight after becoming so fat she ‘couldn’t fit’ on a rollercoaster. Danielle McGill was determined to change her lifestyle when she tipped the scales at 22st and ballooned to a size 26 thanks to years of unhealthy eating habits.

The 36 year old mum said she used food as a coping mechanism following the devastating loss of her dad to bowel cancer in 2019. After having three children, Danielle said she began ‘neglecting herself’ even more – demolishing Toby Carvery fried breakfasts, McDonald’s lunches and dinnertime kebabs each day.

Danielle said she became so big that she couldn’t even fit on a rollercoaster ride at Flamingo Land, despite theme parks being a favourite pastime she shared with her dad. In January 2025, the mum of- four began using skinny jabs to help curb her appetite and within a year lost 10 stone.

Now 11st 11lbs and wearing a dress size eight, Danielle, who has just launched an aesthetics business, admits she’s ‘much happier’ – and is now able to ride on rollercoasters with her kids.

Danielle, who lives in Sunderland, said: “I think my weight just crept up over time because of my lifestyle. Then in 2016 my dad was diagnosed with cancer. We were extremely close, I saw him every day and I did all of his care.

“Then he passed away in 2019 and I wasn’t in a very good place for a long time, I’d just had a baby as well. His passing has still left a huge loss. I was just trying to pull through – I wasn’t very kind to myself, I had a lot of negative thoughts about myself and a lot of shame about my weight.

“I was so unhappy, eating was a way of coping, but it was self-sabotage. I just used to stay in the house, I used to have to pull myself up the stairs with the bannister.

“I wouldn’t go into soft play because I was scared I’d get stuck – down the slide or anywhere. I was eating between 5,000 and 10,000 calories easily.

“Me and my dad used to love going to theme parks then after he passed away, I couldn’t get on. I couldn’t fit on because I was too big, it was humiliating.”

In January 2025, Danielle decided to drastically change her lifestyle and began a course of weight-loss injections, helping her drop a whopping 10 stone within a year. Now, the mum is able to ride rollercoasters with her kids and sit in theatre chairs without the fear of her weight getting in the way.

Danielle said: “In order to be a better parent and a better person, I needed to lose weight. It was for the children and bettering myself.

“After having kids, I was neglecting myself. I was just focused on looking after them, I let myself go even more.

“I felt like I was unhappy and that radiates out of a person. It was never about being a bikini model, it was about being healthy. The day that I decided to give myself some compassion for everything that I’d been through and be kind to myself was when I started changing my lifestyle.

“There were so many non-scale victories. I was able to go to the theatre, the seats are tiny, I didn’t have to stress about fitting in the chair.

“I was able to go on a rollercoaster at Alton Towers with my kids and not stand thinking in the queue ‘am I going to get on?’ That felt massive to me, I do feel proud, but it feels surreal.”

After losing nearly half her body weight, Danielle said she was happier than ever and is urging others on a weight-loss journey to show themselves kindness.

Danielle said: “I completely changed my lifestyle, I eat healthily. It’s not been a quick-fix, it’s been a complete lifestyle change and they [the jabs] have just given me the headspace to do that.

“The money I spent on takeaways, I just spent on [injections] instead. I was spending all my money on food.

“I feel much happier and more confident. I would say to other people ‘don’t put too much pressure on yourself, take it a week at a time’. Give yourself the same kindness you’d give to a friend.”

Danielle’s pre-weight loss food diary

Breakfast – fried breakfast at Toby Carvery

Lunch – McDonald’s

Evening meal – Chinese, kebab

Dessert – chocolate, cakes, sweets

Snacks – coffee, donuts

Drinks – two-litre bottle of Pepsi Max per day

Danielle’s post-weight loss food diary

Breakfast – protein iced coffee

Lunch – high-protein meal like chicken with rice

Evening meal – steak with vegetables

Snacks – apple slices with peanut butter, protein bar/shake, nuts