A Virginia woman who spent years eating McDonald’s and spending $500 a month or DoorDash looks unrecognizable after shedding 126 pounds and undergoing a $22,000 surgery.
Jillian Champ, 24, developed disordered eating habits at age 15. In the years that followed, she ate several McDonald’s breakfast orders, a half-dozen donuts, and a 20-piece chicken nugget a day.
The young woman ate pastries, sugary coffee and soft drinks, in addition to eating five fast food meals a day.
“As a kid, I thought I was fat even when I wasn’t because I had a bad relationship with food,” Champ explained.
‘When I developed binge eating disorder, I literally couldn’t stop eating. I felt really bad about it and I hated being obese, but I didn’t know how to stop.’
Jillian Champ, 24, lost 126 pounds and spent $22,000 on weight-loss surgery after battling binge eating disorder since her teens.
The Virginia woman reached size XXXL before deciding to embark on an arduous journey to lose weight
Champ would cut back on several McDonald’s breakfast orders, sugary donuts and chicken nuggets daily, in addition to spending $500 a month on DoorDash orders.
By the time he turned 20, his weight had doubled, reaching 280 pounds and a size XXXXL.
One night, while Champ stood in front of the bathroom mirror, she promised to change.
“I saw my stomach hanging over my shirt and I thought, ‘I can’t believe I did this to myself,'” she said.
So she reduced her portion sizes, exercised, and opted for low-calorie foods like salads and chicken tacos.
As of June 2023, Champ had lost 126 pounds, almost half his body weight. He lost an additional 10 pounds by opting for a $22,000 surgery to remove excess skin.
Once embarrassed to appear in photographs, Champ now “always takes new photos” of herself and even works as a consultant to help others lose weight.
“I started losing weight, but it wasn’t always easy. I remember sitting down and crying because it was ‘too hard.’ But seeing the number on the scale drop showed me I could do it, so I kept going,” she explained.
“Looking back, I never thought I’d be able to keep it up, but I’m so glad I did.”
Champ made the decision to change his life while looking at his reflection in the bathroom mirror one night.
By June 2023, Champ had lost almost half of her body weight, but was unhappy with the excess skin she had left after the weight loss.
With financial support from her father and fiancé Houmin Khanehzarrin (pictured), Champ saved enough money for a procedure to remove 10 pounds of skin.
She added water aerobics and mountain walks to her exercise routine and learned to recreate many of her favorite foods in a healthier way.
Champ opted for foods high in protein and volume, but low in calories, such as chicken tacos and salads.
Before losing weight, Champ would hide empty wrappers from her fiancé, Houmin Khanehzarrin, before returning from work.
In addition to losing self-confidence, the 24-year-old admitted that her health was deteriorating.
“I couldn’t stand for more than 30 minutes when I was at my heaviest, and I was so overweight I could barely move,” Champ said. “I had back problems and constant pain in my feet; I was even afraid to get up from the couch to go to the bathroom.”
Before taking the plunge, she tried to lose weight from time to time, but couldn’t stay focused.
He eventually discovered that eating fewer calories than he burned was the key to losing weight.
Champ focused on preparing meals that were high in protein and volume, but low in calories. He realized that he could recreate many of his favorite dishes in a healthier way. In the first two weeks, he lost a whopping 13 pounds.
‘The first four months were an extremely difficult adjustment, I remember sitting and crying. But I kept going,” the 24-year-old said.
Champ Tried to Lose Weight Off and On for Years, But Couldn’t Stay Committed
Before losing weight, the 24-year-old couldn’t stand for more than 30 minutes at a time.
She hid empty wrappers from Khanehzarrin before he returned from work.
Champ says she could lose some more weight before her September 2024 wedding date, but she’s “pretty happy” with her current appearance.
Champ began incorporating exercises like water aerobics and mountain walks into his daily routine.
She lost another 20 pounds, but was unhappy with the excess skin on her stomach and arms, which made her look like “a deflated version of myself.”
With financial support from his father and fiancé, Champ saved enough money for a procedure to remove the remaining 10 pounds.
“As I started my weight loss journey, I knew I was getting married and I didn’t want to look back at my wedding photos and hate them,” she said.
Champ revealed she might lose some more weight before her September 2024 wedding date, but she’s “pretty happy with where I am right now.”
“Now I look in the mirror, smile and think good things about myself,” she said. “I will never go back to the way I was before.”
