LORI’S STORY WAS SOLD AS AN EXCLUSIVE TO ‘LOVE IT!’ MAGAZINE

Lori, now 45, spent her childhood years being bullied due to her size.

Kids would throw things at her, call her ‘fatness’, and would refuse to let her play or sit with them.

Instead, she’d spend her lunchtimes in a darkened classroom with her only comfort – food.

Lori, from the US, piled on even more weight throughout high school and the constant tormenting left her shy and insecure.

She was sent to dance classes in an attempt to boost her confidence, but the taunts followed – girls would point at Lori and puff out their cheeks in reference to her size.

As an adult, life continued to prove difficult. Lori had to order special clothes – most shops didn’t stock the XXXL tops or UK size 30 dresses she needed.

She’s also been mistaken as pregnant, refused on to theme park rides and struggled to keep up with her growing son

In fact, just walking was a chore for Lori. After a few simple steps she’d be out of breath.

The one thing Lori excelled at was eating. She’d think nothing of ordering a bread basket at a restaurant, swiftly followed by a starter, soup, a salad, main mean and then a share-size dessert all to herself.

Lori’s glutton continued at home. She’d pile her plate with fried food and was more than happy to scoff ice-cream as a dessert … after every meal.

During the day, Lori would rely on fast food to keep her going. Then, on the way home from work, she’d often eat a pound of chocolate – the equivalent of nine Mars Bars!

Lori, who stands at 5ft 8ins, tipped the scales 19.4 stone and had a BMI of 41. She was morbidly obese.

She’d tried multiple diets before and lost a few pounds, but could never keep it up.

It wasn’t until Lori was in a car accident – a driver went through a red light and ploughed into her vehicle – that she decided enough was enough.

Lori’s knees hit the dashboard, cracking one knee cap and tearing the meniscus in both.

The former scientist had to have knee surgery and was left walking with a cane. Her extra weight caused her extra agony with every step.

Suddenly, everything came crashing down on her. She had to change.

Lori made a list of everything that led to her overeating, such as using serving spoons to eat, and then paired them with solutions, such as using a smaller spoon.

She stopped cooking with oil, substituted fatty foods with healthier alternatives and gradually increased the amount of exercise she did.

Making small changes, Lori found she could keep her ‘diet’ up. And very soon the weight started to drop off.

Between 2007 and 2010 she lost more than nine stone and shrank from a size 30 to a slender size eight.

Lori, who has maintained her weight loss for four years and insists she has no saggy skin, has now released a book that features her journey, tips and tricks.

She said: “I’m a completely different person today. I am confident and outgoing.

“My life has completely changed, too. I’m able to walk for a start! And I can finally keep up with my son.

“I’m thrilled to wear things I never would or never have, like a skirt, belt or high heels. I was so afraid I would snap them before.”