'I was 23 stone and after a break-up I shed 10 stone to get my perfect revenge body'

A woman who was nearly 23st at one point is now unrecognisable after after a break-up while aiming to get a "revenge body".

Josie Varela, 33, was teased at for her size and things only got worse as she grew up and was rejected in bars and on dates over her size, she says. She to cope with rejection - and then an unhappy relationship - ordering and Taco Bell four times a day and hiding the wrappers in her car.

At her heaviest in January 2018, she was 22st 12lbs, and a size XXXXL, she was newly single. Initially motived by getting a "revenge bod" she eventually focused on getting healthy for herself.

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Now at 12st 7lbs, she slips into a size medium - and found new love with supportive Elias Jimenez, 31, who she married in October last year. Josie, now a weight loss coach from Los Angeles, California, said: "I grew up being called 'the fat kid' and I was the last one to get picked for sports teams.

"I would use food as a comfort mechanism while in my relationship - it was like my drug. So after my relationship I was heartbroken and started my weight loss journey. At the start it was 'revenge body' motivated, but I realised I needed to get healthy.

"I would go to the gym every day to gain muscle then started going for runs and cycling when Covid hit. Now I'm 12st 7lbs but I've found a good medium - I enjoy being active, I'm healthy and I eat the food I enjoy."

Josie grew up in a Mexican household where she said "food was everything" and would enjoy big portions of foods rich in carbs and fats. She got bullied to the point she became "numb to humiliation and embarrassment", as she explained: "My diet was trash - I'd snack all day.

"In the clubs or bars nobody wanted to take me to dance, or a guy would buy my friends drinks and not me. If I would go on blind dates I would see the look of disappointment on the guy's face as soon as I arrived. Fast food became a staple in my life.

"The McDonald's workers knew my name and order without me telling them." In January 2018, she began exercising and overhauled her diet - exercising outdoors when gyms shut due to the pandemic. She met her now-husband Elias, a carpenter, who supported her through her transformation.

Josie said: "At that time I was focused on myself, I wasn't worried about finding a man. But we connected so well." In 2021, she hit her lowest weight 11st 1lbs - meaning she had roughly halved her body weight. She became a weight loss coach as soon as gyms opened again, to help others.

She said: "I'm incredibly proud but I do mourn a lot for the woman I was and for what I went through. It's been a wild ride, and sometimes I forget what I've accomplished until I get other women message me saying I've inspired them.

"It's deeper than just weight loss, it's a self-love journey. It's not about the number on the scale, how many carbs you eat, or how many times you go to the gym. It's about putting yourself and your health first."

Josie's diet before

Breakfast: Two sausage McMuffins, two hash browns, large coffee, and cookies

Lunch: Two McDonald's cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, coke

Dinner: Mexican beans, fries and six tortillas

Snacks: Ice cream, crisps, sweets, cookies

Josie's diet now

Breakfast: Avocado, poached eggs and asparagus

Lunch: Turkey, mushrooms, broccoli and a rice cake, or a salad or veggie sandwich

Dinner: Grilled chicken, brown rice, grilled squash and greens

Snacks: Dried fruit, almonds, Greek yoghurt