Dieter who lost 182lbs says she's been left with 10lbs of loose skin

I shed more than half of my body weight – but have been left with so much loose skin people say my stomach looks like a ‘flying squirrel’

• Kimberly Nestorik, 27, from Pennsylvania once weighed in at 308lbs (22 stone)
• Read more: Best month to diet REVEALED – and it’s not in the summer 

A former fast food addict who lost 182lbs (13 stone) in weight has revealed she’s been left with so much excess skin that she’s been trolled online by strangers – who say her stomach looks like a ‘flying squirrel’. 

Kimberly Nestorick, from Pennsylvania, has revealed that she often ate three takeaways a day in her old life – tucking into leftovers such as chicken tenders for breakfast and sometimes even ordering two different food deliveries for lunch.

The 27-year-old mother said she knew she needed to ditch fast food when she was turfed off a rollercoaster because the seatbelt wouldn’t fit around her body.

Kimberly, who once tipped the scales at 308lbs (22 stone) and wore a size 24 (28 UK size), says the wake-up call saw her overhaul her diet, and she now cooks every meal from scratch – and hits the gym four times per week.

Her new regime has helped her slim down to a svelte 131lbs (9st 5lbs) and a dress size size small.

Kimberly Nestorik, 27, from Pennsylvania once weighed in at 308lbs (22 stone) but says the downside of a healthier lifestyle has been the excess skin she’s been left with

However, she says that when the weight started to drop off, she expected some excess skin but could never have imagined the amount she’s been left with.

The retail worker and gamer claims that cruel trolls compare her to a ‘flying squirrel’ and tell her to use the skin ‘as a parachute’.

Although she started a new relationship six months ago, Kimberly says it took two months for her to be intimate with her partner with the lights on – however his reassurance has given her some much-needed confidence back.

Kimberly as she looked before her weight loss; the mother of one says she would order take-outs constantly before she began dieting. Right: As her stomach looks now – she says cruel trolls have said it looks like a ‘flying squirrel’ 

She reveals that one particularly cruel online taunt told her to use her stomach ‘as a parachute’ 

Now she is fundraising $8,000 to have her loose skin removed as she says her confidence would soar if she could have the op.

Kimberly said: ‘When I first met my partner, I was very self-conscious about it but it’s got easier. It’s better if I don’t think about it or get in my head about it. If I think about it, I get insecure.

‘It was something I had to have a conversation about. I’d cover my body with blankets and make sure the room was dark. It took about two months to get over my own head and insecurities.

‘The first time he saw me without clothes on was quite scary. It made me nervous knowing if I got in a relationship, I would have to share myself and my skin but I’m at the point where I’m very comfortable showing it.

‘I get hate comments online where people say I could use it as a parachute or they call me a flying squirrel.

‘I don’t let it affect me because it won’t be there forever if I get the surgery.

‘My partner tells me I’m beautiful and not let things get to me. They hide behind a screen.’

The retail worker says she’s fundraising $8,000 to have her loose skin removed as she says her confidence would soar if she could have the op

Overhaul: Kimberly has ditched fast food and cooks her meals from scratch now, having lost 182lbs (13 stone) since she began dieting

Kimberly is desperately fundraising for $8,000 to get the excess skin removed.

She estimates she’s been left with 10lbs worth of excess skin which she says leaves her feeling like she’s still in her old body.

Kimberly said: ‘I heard it could happen but I didn’t know how bad it would be or how much I would have.

Kimberly pictured before she lost the weight with her daughter, Everly, four – she says she feels fitter and more confident but would love to be rid of the excess skin

The single mum said she knew she needed to change her lifestyle so she could be around for her daughter

‘Some days I still feel like I’m in my old body because of it. It’s a lot of skin.

‘It’s not painful but it does interfere with my workouts. I have to wear a waist trainer

‘It makes wearing clothes difficult, I have to wear shapewear every day. I have to deal with rashes and it’s a struggle to keep it clean.

‘I feel confident when I’m wearing clothes but it wears a lot on my mental health. My confidence would definitely go up without it but I’m starting a self-love journey where I’m trying to love it and accept it.

‘The operation is between $8,000 and $14,000. I didn’t know it was going to be that expensive.’

Kimberly claims she’s been overweight for as long as she can remember but her addiction to takeaways grew during the pandemic.

The single mum said she knew she needed to change her lifestyle so she could be around for her daughter, Everly, four.

KIMBERLY’S DIET BEFORE

Breakfast: Leftover takeaway eg chicken tenders

Lunch: Takeaway eg Chinese food or chicken

Dinner: Takeaway eg cajun chicken pasta, a side of bread

Snacks: A large Dunkin Donuts latte

KIMBERLY’S DIET AFTER

Breakfast: Egg white wrap, spinach, tomatoes, fat free cheese

Lunch: Taco bowls, spinach, vegetables

Dinner: Chicken, rice or potatoes and vegetables

Snacks: Coffee with a splash of cream

Kimberly said: ‘I tried to go on a ride with my daughter and was told I couldn’t because the belt wouldn’t fit across me and it was a safety issue. I cried.

‘Then I took her on her first train ride and we had photos taken. I didn’t even recognise myself anymore. I felt sick. I realised I needed to make lifestyle changes.

‘That was the turning point. I’m a single parent so I needed to change so I could be around for my daughter.

She says she decided to take action after realising she didn’t even recognise herself any more because she’d gained so much weight

‘I was pretty healthy considering how big I was but I couldn’t run around with my daughter or play with her and she’s fast.

‘I used to order food and eat out all the time. I would eat restaurant food and take out so that’s one thing I stopped immediately.

‘I wasn’t an actual breakfast person. I would have leftovers from what we had the night before.

‘I’d have leftover tenders for breakfast. It was constant takeout. At one point I couldn’t decide between Chinese or chicken wings so I ordered and ate both.

‘I started cooking my own meals. I try not to drink my calories so I stay away from high calorie drinks. I add a lot of vegetables because it keeps me full.

‘I go to the gym, work on my mental health and my relationship with food.’

You can donate to Kimberly’s GoFundMe here

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