Mum sheds staggering 8st by ditching Starbucks coffees – after docs warned she faced life in a wheelchair
Tara McGinty weighed 18st and was in so much pain from rheumatoid arthritis she couldn't hug her kids
A MUM has shed a staggering EIGHT stone - after quitting her addiction to Starbucks coffees.
Tara McGinty was packing away 4,000 calories every day, way above the 2,000 recommended for women.
The mum-of-two weighed in at a hefty 18 stone, and was so exhausted she had to nap several times a day.
Tara, from Kennewick, Washington in the US, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, made worse by her chunky frame.
She was in such excruciating pain in her joints, she couldn't hug her kids, Marshall, seven, and Peyton, ten.
But it was only when doctors warned the 33-year-old she faced being confined to a wheelchair, that she was shocked into action.
She switched her two large Starbucks coffees a day - and sugary snacks - for shakes, clean eating and a weight loss plan.
Now weighing 9st 7oz, Tara is now helping others in her role as a personal trainer.
"After being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis that was my moment, I knew I had to change everything I was doing," she said.
“It affected my joints a lot of the time.
"My elbows, wrists and everything hurt so bad that I couldn’t walk up and down steps without being miserable.
“It was at the point where even giving my kids a hug would hurt.
"They would want to cuddle me, but I couldn’t do it because it would physically cause me too much pain.";
Doctors told Tara carrying excess weight was making her condition worse, and warned she could end up in a wheelchair by the age of 40.
TARA'S DIET THEN AND NOW
Tara's diet before:
Breakfast – Starbucks Venti Frappuccino with extra whipped cream and a muffin
Snacks – sugary or salty snacks
Lunch – hot pockets, processed foods or a whole pizza
Snacks – Starbucks latte with pound cake
Dinner – large spaghetti with garlic bread
Dessert – popcorn, chips or more
Tara's diet now:
Breakfast – meal replacement protein shake and a Ezekiel bread with jam
Snacks – rice cake with guacamole and tuna
Lunch – meal replacement shake
Snacks – turkey slices with cucumber and carrot slices with hummus
Dinner – grilled chicken, string beans and roast potatoes
"There was no way I was going to let that happen," she said.
"It was my driving motivation, I did not want to be left in a wheelchair.
"Being diagnosed with a disease like RA could have been a death sentence for me, I could have become a victim of my situation.
"But instead I chose to fight and be better because of it."
Tara set herself a goal of losing 100lbs or 7st.
She went from sleeping all day on the couch to living the best life she can, she said.
"It's like night and day, dark and light - I feel so grateful that I went through that," the 33-year-old added.
Tara was overweight from the age of eight, using food as a crutch to deal with her emotions and developing bad eating habits.
In adulthood, she would often skip meals and then binge-eat, often consuming large amounts of highly calorific food and drink in one sitting.
Tara spent four years in discomfort due to her weight but after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis she decided to try the Isagenix diet plan, which uses meal replacement protein shakes.
After five days she said she'd never felt better.
"I was overweight for so long that I was used to that drained feeling," Tara said.
"When I started making these changes I felt alive."
MORE ON DIET AND WEIGHT LOSS
The mum-of-two dropped nine dress sizes, and lost almost half her body weight - eradicating her pain and boosting her energy.
She said: “After reaching my target I wanted to get stronger, to make my joints more stable, so that when I’m older I can still do the things I enjoy.
“It was a journey I never could have imagined, I never expected to inspire others.
“Now I’m up, doing my workouts, getting my kids ready for school, participating in their lives and going to their sports events, cooking dinner and I’m not wiped out or overwhelmed.”