REAL LIFE: DREAM WEDDING DRESS: 'I lost 4st after a Valentine's Day

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Feb 13, 2005 | by As told to: Amanda Cable.

'It was Valentine's Day, 2000, and as my boyfriend Dave and I finished our romantic meal and toasted each other with wine, my happiness was complete.

On the spur of the moment, I bent down on one knee and asked, 'Will you marry me?' Dave threw his arms around me and said, 'You know I will - I've always wanted to marry you.' It was the perfect end to a magical evening.

But there was only one problem - my weight. At 5ft tall and over 13st, I was nothing like the brides in all the wedding magazines. I could never look elegant in a size 18 gown. I knew I'd have to slim for my dream dress...

I'd known Dave all my life. He's six years younger than me, but lived next door when we were growing up.

At the age of 20, I moved away from our home town and didn't see Dave again until I returned eight years later in 1998.

I was 29 and the mother of two-year-old Ellie, but I'd broken up with her dad.

When Dave was introduced to me by friends, I couldn't believe he was now 23 and drop-dead gorgeous.

One night, he popped round to my house for a drink. We talked non- stop until daybreak and I asked him over again the following evening. This went on until the end of the week and that's when we fell into each other's arms and shared our first wonderful kiss.

Within a week, I was hopelessly in love. And exactly 14 days after we started going out, Dave went down on one knee in the middle of my lounge, took my hand in his and asked me to marry him.

My heart leapt, and I wanted to say yes. But we hardly knew each other, so I told Dave we should wait.

Fate had other plans. Within a fortnight, I was feeling sick and when I did a pregnancy test, I found out why. We had only been dating one month, but I was expecting Dave's child.

When I broke the news, Dave jumped with joy. Nine months later, on Boxing Day 1998, our son Connor was born.

The baby was a healthy 6Ibs 6oz, but my weight was far from healthy. I had eaten loads through my pregnancy and piled on more than 3st. I was now a size 18 and feeling fat, frumpy and desperately insecure.

I hated the way I looked and couldn't bear Dave seeing me looking so big. I insisted on undressing and crawling into bed in the dark.

I tried to hide behind shapeless tops and baggy trousers, but they couldn't conceal my extra bulk. Dave insisted he still loved me, and I still wanted to marry him more than anything. So on Valentine's Day 2000 I decided to pop the question myself.

When Dave said yes, I was shaking with excitement. Now all I had to do was shift those pounds.

For a year, I pored over wedding magazines. Meanwhile, I tried to lose weight, but cooking for young children meant that I constantly picked at their food. And whenever I felt unhappy about my weight, I simply turned to my comfort food - chocolate.

Finally, in January 2003, a year before our wedding, I went to my local WeightWatchers meeting. The leader, Jacqui, weighed me, and when she announced that I was 13st 10Ibs, I nearly wept. But I thought of Dave waiting for me up the aisle and knew I had to succeed.

Within six weeks I had lost 1/2st and the weight kept falling off. After three months, I weighed 12st 10Ibs.

By the following Valentine's Day, I'd slimmed down to 101/2st. I was curvy, but felt sexy with it and, now I was a size 14, I could finally hunt for a dress.

I finally found it in a tiny boutique - an ivory strappy dress with Valentine Red detail to match a bouquet of red roses. It cost pounds 1,000, but I had to have it. I went for several fittings in the weeks leading up to the wedding and I still attended WeightWatchers. In June 2004, at my final meeting before the big day, Jacqui weighed me and announced I was down to 9st 8Ibs. I threw my arms around her and invited my entire WeightWatchers class to my wedding.

I was finally a size 12 and my dress had to be altered once more to fit my slender new frame.

On 31 July 2004, I walked down the aisle at St Fagan's church in Trecynon to marry Dave. Ellie was bridesmaid and Connor was a pageboy, and family, friends and my WeightWatchers class were all waiting in the church.

It was a Valentine's dream come true. My perfect husband, a perfect dress - and a perfect size 12 figure.'

For more details of WeightWatchers classes, call 08457 123000 or visit www.weightwatchers.co.uk.

WEIGHT

BEFORE

13ST

10LBS

DRESS SIZE

18

WEIGHT

AFTER

9ST

8LBS

DRESS SIZE

12

HOW AMANDA LOST THE WEIGHT

MENU BEFORE

Breakfast: Shreddies with a tablespoon of sugar and full-fat milk

Lunch: Cornish pasty

Tea: Fish and chips

Snacks: Two bars of chocolate

MENU AFTER

Breakfast: Shreddies with one teaspoon of sugar and skimmed milk

Lunch: Tortilla wrap with grilled chicken and mixed salad

Tea: Jacket potato, salad, WeightWatchers Tuna And Mayonnaise filling

Snacks: Two tangerines