‘I was too fat to fly, so I lost 70kg’

Personal trainer James Duigan shares one of the key secrets to losing weight and getting a good night's sleep.

Donna and her husband Neil, when Donna weighed 142kg. Photo: Austral Scope Source: Supplied

A MOTHER-OF-TWO lost almost 70kg in weight after she discovered she was too large to wear an airliner seat belt.

Donna McKenna, 32, was jetting off to Gran Canaria for a summer break when, to her horror, she found she could not stretch the regular-sized safety belt across her lap as the plane prepared to take off.

Mrs McKenna, of Portsmouth, was forced to endure the humiliation of being fitted for a brightly-coloured extra-large belt extension by a flight attendant.

Stung by the experience, Mrs McKenna began dieting, bringing her weight down from the 142kg she was at her heaviest to the 73kg she is today.

Last week she returned from a holiday in Turkey where she was able to wear her bikini with pride in the wake of her amazing transformation.

Donna on the beach in a bikini, having lost a whopping 70kg. Photo: Austral Scope Source: Supplied

Donna at her heaviest at 142kg. Photo: Austral Scope Source: Supplied

Mrs McKenna, a children's nursery receptionist, said: "The seatbelt extension was bright orange and the attendants were having to make a fuss of me. I felt as if all eyes were on me — it was a horrible feeling.

"Once we got to the Canary Islands, the holiday was miserable, too. I was barely brave enough to venture outside of the hotel room and I certainly didn't want to go anywhere near the swimming pool."

Mrs McKenna saw her weight increase as she settled into a comfortable life with her childhood sweetheart Neil, 31, a supermarket manager, whom she met when she was a teenager.

She said: "Life was very easy-going. We didn't shy away from having treats — I was particularly drawn to crisps and chocolate. By the time we married in 2006, I was 107kg."

Donna and Neil on their wedding day in 2006. Photo: Austral Scope Source: Supplied

Following the birth of the couple's son Ryan in 2008, she found it even more difficult to control her weight gain and before long her health was beginning to suffer.

She said: "I started to struggle with mobility. Ryan was always very active and it was difficult keeping up with him. It became Neil's job to take him to the park.

"It was a shame to go to the park and not be able to go on the swings with him, like any other mum. I began to feel quite sad and guilty about that.

"When I felt bad I would go home and comfort eat, which made me get larger, so it became a vicious circle."

Donna with her son Ryan before she lost weight. Photo: Austral Scope Source: Supplied

In the summer of 2010, when she was four months pregnant with her daughter Isabelle, now 3, Mrs McKenna was at her largest size, weighing 142kg and wearing size 30 (US 26) clothing.

It was then that the family decided to have a holiday to the Canary Islands, which involved a short flight.

Mrs McKenna said: "I tried to get comfortable in the plane seat but I struggled to fit into it.

"I might have been four months pregnant, but I knew I should have been able to fit into the chair anyway.

"In that moment I knew I had to do something.

"I waited for a while — until Isabelle was six weeks old — before I started to diet properly. But from then on, I'd committed to making a change."

Donna is grateful she made the decision to lose weight. Photo: Austral Scope Source: Supplied

Mrs McKenna joined her local branch of Slimming World and within the first week she had lost 2kg. Over the course of a year she lost nearly 45kg.

She said: "I was so nervous before the first class. If it wasn't for the fact that my mum Christine was with me for moral support, I don't think I would have got through the door.

"After all that worry, they were a really nice group and they made me feel welcome. I got loads of support from them.

"Changing my diet so dramatically took quite a lot of getting my head around, but once you figure out what you're doing and start to see the results, it's easy. Success really spurs you on for the following week."

Donna showing off her transformation with a pair of her old trousers. Photo: Austral Scope Source: Supplied

Before beginning her weight loss journey, Mrs McKenna typically ate nothing for breakfast, followed by a cheese pizza with chips and a packet of crisps for lunch, with a microwave-ready meal of spaghetti carbonara for an evening meal. Throughout the day she would snack on crisps and Galaxy chocolate.

Today, she typically enjoys scrambled egg or a serving of Bran Flakes for breakfast, followed by chicken or ham salad for lunch, with lean chicken and steamed vegetables for an evening meal. When she snacks, she enjoys bananas and apples.

Now, at 73kg and wearing size 14 (US 10) clothing, she is at the lowest weight she has ever been in adulthood.

Donna now wears size 14 clothing instead of size 30. Photo: Austral Scope Source: Supplied

She said: "Neil's extremely proud and full of praise. He's hugely encouraging.

"It's easier to keep up with Ryan and Isabelle. Ryan loves running around with me — he remembers me as I was before and loves seeing his mum so healthy and with such energy."

Last week, Mrs McKenna returned from a triumphant family holiday to Turkey, where she was able to enjoy the beach side with full body confidence.

She said: "I was able to get into a bikini. It was so nice to be able to do that. It felt amazing to think that no-one was looking at me.

"As I was boarding the plane at the start of the holiday, I had a flashback to the time when I couldn't stretch the seat belt across me. This time, as I pulled the seatbelt across, I had to pull it tighter as it was left too big from the previous passenger.

"My legs weren't squashed against the arm and I finally felt comfortable where I was. I couldn't help smiling."

Donna is now comfortable in a bikini on the beach. Photo: Austral Scope Source: Supplied

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