When mum-of-two Tricia McSweeney bumped into a friend at the supermarket, it led to a decision that would change her life forever…
Growing up, TriciaMcSweeney was always the biggest in her group of friends and was given the cruel nickname “chubs” – leading to years of on/off dieting and sadness. But now, Tricia, 43, has shed 11st – and it was all thanks to a trip to budget supermarket Aldi in 2020.
While heading into the store to do her weekly shop, Tricia bumped into a friend she didn’t recognise, because she’d lost so much weight thanks to a gastric sleeve. Tricia recalls, “She was half the size she used to be! When she told me she’d had surgery, I was really inspired, and as soon as I got home, I looked into having the operation myself.”
TEASED
After researching to find a clinic abroad she felt happy with, Tricia booked the £4,000 surgery for March 2021. The operation was a success and she now spends every day working hard to lead a healthier lifestyle. She says, “The gastric sleeve was the kick-start I needed to change my ways. I’m now the happiest I’ve ever been – I’ve got my life back!”
As a child, Tricia, a pre-school teacher from Cork, Ireland, was teased about her size. She says, “Being known as ‘chubs’ made me so self-conscious that when I started secondary school, I stopped eating during the day in a bid to lose weight. The weight dropped off but it just wasn’t maintainable, as I’d go the whole day without eating and then just eat my dinner at night.”
When she was 19, Tricia gave birth to her eldest son, Tirnan. And four years later, she and her partner Joe, now 46, welcomed another son, Oisin. Tricia explains, “During my second pregnancy, I piled on even more weight, reaching a size 20. And afterwards, I struggled to shift it. With two little boys to feed, my deep-fat fryer was always on and I was forever picking at leftovers. Chicken nuggets and chips were my favourite.
“I was permanently starting a new diet – I tried everything from shakes to different diet clubs. For short periods of time, it would work. I’d get down to a size 12, but then I would ping back up to an 18. By the age of 30, I’d reached a size 24.”
When Joe and Tricia got engaged, even though she was delighted, she dreaded being a bigger bride. She says, “In my final dress fitting, the shop assistant was tugging at the zip to get it up! Although I’d make light of my weight in public, on the inside I was miserable about it.”
SHE’S LOST 11ST
The couple got married in March 2005 and, within a few months, Tricia crept up to 21st. Over the following years Tricia tried more diets and regular exerci
