14-06-2025
Kaitlyn Jorgensen used to eat junk food seven days a week and never exercise
A woman who ballooned to 20st from eating fast food seven days a week has revealed how she achieved the figure of her dreams - but sacrificed friendships in the process.
Kaitlyn Jorgensen, from Washington, had struggled with her weight from a young age but things came to a head when she tipped the scales at 280 pounds (20 stone) at just 22 years old.
The mother-of-one was a secret eater who would go to the drive-thru and polish off a large take out meal, ensuring to throw away all of her rubbish before going home and tucking into a second dinner with her family.
Refusing to exercise and struggling to walk for even a mile on the treadmill, Kaitlyn began her weight loss journey - which included changing her habits and undergoing an operation - in 2020, which has seen her shed more than eight stone.
And while she's happier than ever in her figure, Kaitlyn revealed she has lost friends in the process, who didn't understand her choice to have an operation.
Kaitlyn, now 29, first decided to set herself a goal of two years in which to lose weight naturally by making better lifestyle choices.
She told MailOnline: 'I hated physical exercise because I couldn't move my body. The first time I went to the gym I said "I'm going to get on the treadmill and walk a mile". I couldn't walk that mile. I had to stop five times to catch my breath, it was hard on my body and I was thinking that this wasn't the life I wanted to live.
'I had underlying health issues, I was pre-diabetic, my bones hurt, my knees and my back because of the physical weight I had on myself.'
The student managed to lose a whopping 40 pounds through lifestyle changes alone by the time she was 24.
Before, Kaitlyn wouldn't typically eat breakfast, instead opting for a sugary, calorific caramel Frappuccino from Starbucks, which contains a whopping 54g sugar.
If she did opt for a meal first thing in the morning it would be something like stuffed French toast topped with syrup.
She visited fast food outlets almost every single day; with her favourite spots being McDonald's and Arby's.
Although her unhealthy habits were hard to break, Kaitlyn decided to start off slow by weaning herself off ultra-processed foods.
She said: 'I was a secret eater, I would go to the drive thru and get a Big Mac meal with extra fries and five chicken nuggets. This sounds crazy saying it out loud.
'I would hide that before I got home because I didn't want the judgement of me eating and then having another dinner with my family. Food was food and I was going to eat anything.'
After transforming her lifestyle and now seeing food as 'fuel', Kaitlyn revealed she now has a completely different attitude towards eating.
'I knew that eating fast food seven days a week wouldn't cut it anymore. I started with going to the gym twice a week and cut down eating out to three times a week.'
Previously, she had struggled to stick to a diet after having moments of weakness when she tried to cut everything out at once.
But this time, she took a different approach - slowly increasing her exercise and cutting down the number of takeaways she was eating. In time, she established an entirely new routine.
Kaitlyn goes to the gym four times a week and eats a high protein diet with tons of fruits and vegetables (pictured now)
'I now look at exercise as a stress reliever, not a chore,' she added. 'It's going to suck in the moment but I'm going to feel so much better later on.'
In 2022, after two years of eating more healthily and steadily shaving inches off her figure, Kaitlyn's weight had plateaued at around 240 pounds - leading her to take more drastic measures.
She opted for a vertical sleeve gastrectomy weight loss operation - costing a whopping $28,000.
The procedure saw medics cut away 80 per cent of Kaitlyn's stomach, which significantly reduced her appetite.
Despite the staggering price tag of the surgery, Kaitlyn was able to use her health insurance to cover her medical costs.
Before long, she had dropped down to just 160lbs, meaning she had lost a total of 120lbs - more than eight stone - since starting her journey.
However, it hasn't always been easy, as she was left feeling judged and alienated by her friends for having the operation done.
'I did get judged a lot, I lost friends over it, people couldn't understand why I wanted to get weight loss surgery and it's because I knew I needed that tool to help me,' she said.
'I do get looked at a lot differently now. When people see pictures of me back then they think it's photo shopped and I say "No that is me!"'
Now Kaitlyn has continued to maintain her athletic figure by watching what she eats and exercising on a daily basis.
For breakfast, she will usually have avocado on toast with an egg and a sausage. She will also snack on beef sticks, fruits, yogurts and smoothies rather than opting for ultra-sugary beverages.
For dinner, Kaitlyn - who now hits the gym four times a week - will typically have chicken and vegetables with a dessert as she admitted to having a 'sweet tooth'.
'I had so much sugar before surgery it actually blows my mind that I ate that much,' she added.
After having the VSG surgery, doctors told her that her fertility would skyrocket, but Kaitlyn said she didn't want to go on hormonal contraception because she wanted her body to adjust naturally.
Three months after having the operation, Kaitlyn found out she was pregnant with a little girl and was overjoyed by the news.
She said: 'I have my daughter now so I have the family that I always wanted and I don't think she would be here if I didn't have my surgery and I'm able to keep up with her.
'My husband is very proud of me. We were together before I had my surgery so he has seen me feel really bad [about myself] and he's seen the confidence just come to me [afterwards].'
Kaitlyn says it makes her feel 'really emotional' that she can now run around with her daughter - something she would have never been able to do before.
