Leeds mum sheds half her body weight in unbelievable transformation that landed her top modelling gigs
A mum-of-five from Leeds who once weighed 21 stone underwent an incredible transformation that saw her shed more than half her body weight - and now she’s modelling for top international magazines.
Nicola Singleton described food as an “addiction” that helped her cope with trauma she’s faced - including the death of her children’s father, a serious car crash, and the loss of her own dad.
But in 2021, not long after the birth of her youngest child, she overheard a cruel comment about her weight that prompted a remarkable journey - and a gastric bypass that changed her life.
“I’d always been overweight,” said the 38-year-old. “I was bullied throughout school and faced a lot of nasty comments about it. I’d tried absolutely everything I could to lose weight, but food had been an addiction for me.
“It’s a comfort. Whenever I went through a bad time, I just wanted to eat - and I’d end up piling on weight.
“I was at my biggest just after I’d had my youngest son and I overheard someone saying that I was the ‘fattest mum’. It just absolutely broke my heart – and I knew I needed to sort myself out.”
Her journey had already been shaped by years of struggle. In 2014, she was involved in a head-on car crash on Wakefield Road near Garforth which left her in a wheelchair for nearly five months.
“It was pretty brutal,” Nicola recalled. “I was very lucky to be alive. I was in hospital for two weeks and got out just before Christmas - but I was still in a bit of a state.”
She was left with serious injuries, including a crushed foot and hand - and she had to move her bed into the living room while recovering.
Her three eldest children had to live with Nicola’s parents because of her lack of mobility - which left her feeling depressed. The aftermath took its toll mentally and physically.
Nicola explained: “I couldn’t cook when I came out of hospital, so I was eating takeaways. It was just a really bad time and it made me pile a lot of weight on.”
Nicola eventually underwent gastric bypass surgery at the end of 2021. She said: “Food was my drug - but I had to go completely cold turkey. I wanted to eat, but I couldn’t."
The weight loss process began slowly, but in early 2022 she started to notice results. By February, she said the weight was just “dropping off”.
The impact was life-changing. She said: “It was amazing. I never imagined I’d get the body that I have now.”
It was around this time that she swapped her addiction to food with tattoos, something she had always wanted to invest in.
“After the car accident, I got a tattoo that says ‘Life is precious’. Life’s too short not to do the things you want, so then I got a sleeve done. Whenever I felt down and depressed, I’d get a new tattoo.”
Nicola, who works for Leeds City Council, shares her body art on Instagram at @87tatted_model_nic87 - and gave a shoutout to her tattoo artists, @alien_ink_ash and @liamrebeltattoos, who she said have played a role in helping her build a new version of herself.
Her confidence took a real turn when she dipped her toe into modelling - an unexpected opportunity that blossomed after a casual spa day with a friend.
“It was all a bit random. We were in the jacuzzi having a chat, and she explained that she had recently modelled for a couple of photographers - but one of the models had let them down, so she asked if I’d come along.
“The photographer said I was perfect because I had tattoos. They were all really lovely – and it just went from there. I’ve done quite a few shoots since then - and I’ve been in two magazines in America, as well as a magazine in Australia. I was chuffed to bits. My children were so proud of me.”
When asked about future plans for modelling, she said: “I’d love to become an advocate for people with normal bodies - whether that’s people with mum tums, dad bods, or anyone else.
“You don’t have to be this stick-thin model with a BBL, fake boobs, and the perfect hourglass figure - you can just be a mum of five who has lost weight.”