15stone teen Lucy would ‘marry pasta not a human’ and sleeps with snacks in bed

Shop assistant Lucy is best friends with her mum and the two have been inseparable since the teenager’s parents split up six-and-a-half years ago.

In a bid to cheer up her teenage daughter, mum Rachel, 48, would treat her to McDonald’s and other junk food to “make her happy”.

This has inspired a love of food in the teen that she admits has become a problem.

Lucy from Lightwater, in Surrey, said: “If I could marry pasta I would, rather than another human being, I would rather marry pasta. Some people find comfort in a book, but I find it in pasta.”

The pair share a flat and mum Rachel always makes sure her daughter gets what she wants when it comes to food.

Between them they eat a massive 10,000 calories EVERY DAY.

Lucy’s favourite meal is creamy carbonara pasta, which she loves to scoff with a huge slice of garlic pizza bread.

Rachel explains: “When I first split I would treat her to McD’s just to cheer her up and it’s a habit I can’t kick.”

And even going to work has its problems for Lucy because she’s surrounded by fast food and sweet treats, which she snacks on all day.

She said: “If it’s a multi-pack I will eat the whole thing.”

One of the teen’s favourite places to snack is her bedroom and she admits “sometimes in the night I’ll roll over and there will be a food wrapper stuck to me in bed”.

Rachel works nights at the Royal Mail so Lucy is often home alone, and for her evening meal orders an unhealthy takeaway.

She said: “I eat out of pure boredom.”

But Lucy’s increasing weight it having a devastating impact on her self-confidence.

She said: “I literally look pregnant, I just feel absolutely huge. My weight makes me feel like I’m going to cry. It hits a place in my heart and I’m locked in a box.

“I feel like everyone thinks I’m gross and I think I’m gross.”

In the last two years, Lucy has piled on three-and-a-half stone – and there’s another problem, her love life.

She said: “Four years ago I came out to my mum. She was fine about it, I was so lukcy. I’ll see girls on dating apps and I’ll think I’m not skinny or pretty enough. That’s what scares me, that I’ll be alone forever.

“If I was thinner I would live life to the full and I’d go clubbing with my friends. Something has to change, something has to break the cycle.

“I feel like mum always saying yes to make me happy has led to my weight gain.”

So, the 18-year-old decides to enlist her mum’s help and for both of them to embark on a weight loss journey together.

Unable to put into words how she feels, Lucy writes Rachel an emotional letter.

She says: “My weight makes me feel I have no self worth, I feel so ugly. We both need to do something about our weight. Let’s say yes to self-love and embarking on this journey together.”

Rachel is devastated and vows to help her daughter become healthier.

She said: “I think I need to be more parent than friend. I should have said something when I first saw the weight going on but I didn’t want to upset you so I didn’t say anything.”

“I used food to comfort her, which I shouldn’t have done.”

The mother and daughter duo enlist the help of personal trainer, Raymond, and he has some shocking numbers to put to Lucy and Rachel.

He weighs the pair with Rachel tipping the scales at 17stone and with a BMI of 43.1. Daughter Lucy weighs 15stone 5lbs and has a BMI of 38.9.

This puts them both in the ‘red zone’, which means they are at high risk of suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Raymond comes up with a sex week extreme fitness regime – but straight after their first session Lucy scoffs a bag of mini cheddars in the car on the way home with her mum.

However, Raymond is determined to do all he can to keep Lucy and Rachel on the straight and narrow when it comes to food and heads to the family home to clear out their shelves of treats.

They fill six bin bags of junk food and sugary treats, which will all be donated to a food bank.

Raymond leaves the pair with a list of recipes that includes three healthy meals a day, along with three healthy snacks.

On day one of their new healthy eating regime, Rachel is working a night shift at the Royal Mail and instead of a calorific takeaway Lucy has to make her own low fat stir fry.

Surprisingly, she loves it and “can’t believe it’s healthy”.

After her first week, Lucy has shed an amazing seven pounds – but she treats herself to a huge Nandos.

Rachel then cooks her daughter a steak dinner with chips as a “treat” but she realises her soft approach to discipline isn’t helping her daughter and enlists Raymond’s help to dish out some tough love.

He takes her out first thing in the morning in the rain for a run around the park.

By the final week of her six week intense weight loss journey – and right at the start of the coronavirus lockdown – Lucy falls ill with flu-like symptoms and has to self-isolate at home.

Raymond checks in virtually and encourages her to stay on plan and even though both mother and daughter are unable to go out, Rachel is trying to keep her steps up by walking round the flat.

And there’s good news for Lucy, she’s dropped another clothes size and is now back in her size 14 jeans.

On the final weigh in, Rachel, who weighed a massive 17stone, has shed a whopping 12lbs and is now just 16stone 2lbs, and has also lost 14 cms from her waist.

And for Lucy, who weighed 15stone 5lbs, she’s managed to lose 5lbs and and is devastated – but Raymond insists he’s proud of her for shedding some weight.

She’s also managed to lose 13cms from her waist.

And five weeks after the final weigh in and Lucy is sticking to her healthy eating and is delighted as her frame continues to shrink.

• It’s Your Fault I’m Fat is on 5Star at 9pm tonight.