A bride-to-be dropped an incredible five dress sizes after seeing the present her mum bought her on Christmas Eve.
When Emily Drummond's boyfriend Paul Campbell asked her to marry him she was determined that her wedding photos wouldn't look like her weight-loss “before” pictures.
But "the final straw" came on Christmas Eve when she saw the size of the matching pyjamas her mum had bought her and decided to change her ways, the Mirror Online reports.
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The 26-year-old went from a size 20 to a size 10 by ditching calorie-counting and eating the food she loves.
Emily said: “I joined Slimming World in January 2020 weighing 18st 4lb.
“I can’t believe how far I’ve come.
"I never in my life would have believed I could have lost over 6st by having the freedom to enjoy the foods I like.
“I’ve gone down from a size 20 to a size 10 and I can’t wait to walk down the aisle in the wedding dress I’ve chosen.
"The date is set for September and we’re keeping everything crossed that we’ll be able to have the wedding we dreamed of.”
It wasn’t the easiest of journeys for Emily, though.
She said: “I’d spent years trying to lose weight and feel like I’ve tried every weight-loss method available.
“But I never managed to stick to it for more than three days.
“I found calorie-counting far too vague and I was always amazed you could have a takeaway so long as it was within your calorie count.”
While Emily’s goal was to be a slimmer bride, an “all-you-can-eat” holiday and trip to Las Vegas followed Paul’s proposal and by Christmas 2019 she was the heaviest she had ever been.
She said: “Christmas Eve brought the final straw.
“My mum gave everyone a gift of matching pyjamas. I opened mine and saw they were a size 20, that was it.”
A fortnight later, she joined Slimming World and “never looked back”.
A study by Slimming World found Emily, from Newcastle, Co Down, was far from alone in finding calorie-counting hard.
Almost three-quarters of adults said they felt it takes away the freedom of enjoying food.
Slimming World’s Carolyn Pallister agrees, saying: “From a health perspective, it’s important to think about the foods you eat and not only the calories in them.”
Emily Drummond
Starting weight: 18st 4lbs
Current weight: 12st 0.5lb
Total weight Loss: 6st 3.5lbs
BEFORE
Breakfast: Sausage sandwich covered in ketchup or a warm sausage roll from the local bakery
Lunch: A meal deal baguette filled with chicken sweet chilli sauce accompanied with a share bag of crisps, a chocolate bar and a fizzy drink.
Dinner: At least two takeaways a week or spaghetti Bolognese made with sauce from a jar and garlic bread
Snacks: Chocolate biscuits and crisps.
AFTER
Breakfast: Fruit salad or Slimming World-style pancakes or ham and egg cups
Lunch: Homemade soup or left-over dinner from the night before
Dinner: Homemade lasagne and chips
Snack: Fruit, fat-free flavoured yogurt, mini flump marshmallows
