London mum who reached 18 stone loses 9 stone with a treadmill off eBay

A woman whose husband bought her a treadmill has shed half her body weight by running 2,700 miles at home - the equivalent of a whopping 103 marathons.

Full-time mother-of-two Rita Celik, who is just 5ft3in, was morbidly obese tipping the scales at 18 stone and wearing a size 22.

Too embarrassed to exercise at the gym, the 32-year-old from Enfield, London, ran five times a week on the treadmill in her garage, losing nine stone and dropping seven dress sizes in 15 months.

Full-time mum-of-two Rita Celik, who is just 5ft3in, was morbidly obese tipping the scales at 18 stone and wearing a size 22 (left). The 32-year-old from Enfield, London, ran five times a week on the treadmill in her garage, losing nine stone and dropping seven dress sizes in 15 months (right)

Determined to motivate his wife, Rita's shop assistant husband Ali, 37, splashed out £400 on a running machine off eBay.

Most women would be offended if their husband bought them a treadmill to help them lose weight, but Rita was 'over the moon'.

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Stuck in a vicious circle, she was too embarrassed to exercise in public or at the gym, and she'd end up comfort-eating at home.

The running machine was placed in their garage and Rita ran five times a week. In the space of 15 months Rita jogged 2,700 miles - the equivalent of 103 marathons.

The exercise saw her weight fall off, and today she is a slender size eight and weighs nine stone.

Rita has decided to use her new-found love of exercise to help motivate other people, so she is now doing a personal training course and is due to qualify soon

Rita said that pictures of her on a family holiday in early 2013 'made her feel sick'

'I couldn't look in the mirror, let alone leave the house,' said Rita, of when she was bigger.

'I would eat my feelings and never dreamt I'd ever be able to change.

'When Ali bought home the treadmill, it was as if this was my one chance to change my life and I became addicted. 

'It was perfect - many people feel too embarrassed to go to the gym in case people laugh at them. That was my fear so Ali was a genius for buying me the treadmill so I could exercise in private.'

Growing up, Rita had always been a large girl with a big appetite.

By the age of 23, after the birth of her first child Halil, now nine, the new mum was a size 18.

Rita put on weight when pregnant with her children Halil, right, now nine, and Daniel, left, now three. But now she's a yummy mummy with a size eight figure

With a curvaceous figure, she held on to the baby weight and continued to grow.

After she gave birth to Daniel, now three, she weighed a hefty 18 stone and said she lost all hope of being the 'perfect 10'.

'I loved carbs,' she said. 'They were my go-to food and after already being big, it didn't seem to matter how much I consumed.'

Rita's daily diet included greasy takeaways, kebabs, chips, crisps and bread - stacking up to more than 2,800 calories a day.

Rita told how she sunk into depression and became a recluse, refusing to leave the house.

She said: 'My only relief was over-indulging in my favourite bad foods. I was addicted to breads, fatty foods and anything sugary.

Determined to motivate his wife, Rita's shop assistant husband Ali, 37, splashed out £400 on a treadmill off eBay. Pictured here with a slimmed-down Rita: 'He loves the new me,' she said

'I had no energy and was a mum of two young children. I felt fat and disgusting, lacking in motivation and didn't ever think I'd be able to look in the mirror again.

'I'd only ever leave the house if I had to and never wanted to leave the sofa. In all honesty, I thought I was a lost cause.'

Rita's daily diet included greasy takeaways, kebabs, chips, crisps and bread - stacking up to more than 2,800 calories a day

In March 2013, a few months after giving birth to her second child, she went on a family holiday for her children, dressing in large baggy clothes and never getting her body out.

She said: 'When I got home and saw some of the photos I felt sick. Seeing the realisation of how big I was made me despair. It sent me into an even deeper hole and I wanted to lock the door on life.

'My husband could see how uncomfortable I was and always told me he loved me no matter my shape or size.'

But Rita had no desire or willpower to exercise and wouldn't even know where to begin.

Then in April 2013 her husband Ali ordered a secret surprise gift from eBay and got it delivered to their London home.

She said: 'Most husbands bring you flowers as a gift, maybe even chocolates. When my husband said the package was for me and we opened the treadmill, I laughed in his face.

'I thought it was a joke, but he was deadly serious.

'I don't think I ever expected to be excited about exercise, but this actually turned out to be surprisingly perfect.

'It was something I could do behind closed doors in my own time.'

She told how it was a struggle to peel herself off the sofa and move her 18-stone frame.

'My thighs would rub and I felt exhausted at the smallest tasks,' she said.

'Even walking up the stairs proved a daily battle and I couldn't run around after my children.

'I felt like a slug and didn't feel attractive or healthy at all.'

The treadmill went untouched for a week in her garage until she finally felt brave enough to try it in June.

Rita started by walking 15 minutes a day on her treadmill, which gradually built up to her running eight kilometres a day, five times a week

At size 18, Rita became a recluse, rarely leaving the house and not wanting to budge from the sofa

She said: 'I was standing there looking at the buttons and stared at my feet on the running belt. I had a sick feeling in my stomach, but knew I had to start somewhere.'

Starting with a fast walk, Rita eased herself in. Every day she would go out to the garage in her gym kit, power up the machine and gradually increase her speed and distance.

She said: 'I started with 15 minutes a day and within a couple of months I could start to see the progress.'

Seeing results and shedding a couple of pounds, Rita decided to also change her carb-heavy diet.

She upped her protein and reduced her carbohydrate intake, replacing pizza with vegetables, fish and green tea.

In the space of seven months, she shed eight stone and six dress sizes.

She said: 'I had this sudden light bulb moment and convinced myself that it was all down to me.

'I had made so many excuses for my weight and health, but the reality was, I had the power to change.'

Rita has swapped her size 22 clothes for size eight work out gear and she now runs outside - often passing old friends who don't recognise her 

At family dinners Rita would watch her husband and children devour delicious fried chicken and chips while she tucked into steamed fish and broccoli.

She said: 'On top of my healthy eating I began to replace walking on the treadmill with running.

'What started off as just 15 minutes a day escalated to 30 minutes and running one kilometre. Then after four months I was doing five kilometres in 40 minutes.'

Within the space of 10 months, Rita was running eight kilometres a day, five times a week.

By March 2014 she had lost 10 stone and eight dress sizes.

What's more she's clocked 2,700 miles on the machine - the distance from London to Greece and back, and the equivalent of 103 marathons.

She said: 'I felt incredible and was literally half the size of the woman I once was.

'My children couldn't believe how I had transformed and Ali loved the new me.'

Rita started to venture outdoors and leave the comfort of the garage that had been her haven for nearly two years.

She said: 'I would start running outdoors in the fresh air and pass friends I hadn't seen for a while.

'I'd say hello and they'd stare at me confused. They didn't recognise me at first and were so shocked.

RITA'S DIET BEFORE AND AFTER

BEFORE 

Breakfast: Two slices of toast with butter, eggs and bacon

Snacks: Two slices of toast with cheese and mushrooms

Lunch: Kebab and chips

Snacks: Crisps and Snickers bar

Dinner: Pizza or fried chicken with chips

Snacks: Snickers bar and more crisps

Late night snack: Cheese on toast

AFTER 

Breakfast: Egg white omelette with vegetables or porridge

Snacks: Green tea, bowl of cottage cheese and almonds

Lunch: Fish and vegetables

Snacks: Strawberries and nuts

Dinner: Steamed or boiled chicken breast and broccoli

Snacks: Apple or tuna salad 

'One friend wondered if I'd disappeared and I replied, 'half of me has!''

The newly confident mum ditched her size 22 wardrobe in favour for size eight training gear.

Rita started a few personal training sessions to improve her fitness levels even more.

In March this year Rita decided that she wanted to use her new love for exercise to help others who were stuck indoors, unmotivated.

She said: 'I started a PT course and I'm due to qualify soon.

'I've completely changed my life and halved the person I used to be. I was so depressed and down on myself.

'I'd never look at mirrors and cover myself with baggy clothes. Now I run through parks and rarely sit on the sofa.

'I closed the door on the world and came out a different person – all because of a treadmill.

'I'm proof that anyone can change their life, even if they are too scared to step outside.' 

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