When Sammy Kelly's little boy Archie rode his bike unaided for the first time, it should have been a proud and exciting moment for them both.
But the special milestone was completely ruined as Sammy wasn't fit enough to chase along side him to watch, even though he was desperately calling for her to follow him.
Recalling her burning shame, former nursery nurse Sammy, 30, who is a size 18, says she wobbled to a standstill at the side of the road and was unable to keep up.
She said: "Archie was over the moon that he could ride his pushbike without his daddy's help, and asked me to chase him as he rode along.
"He kept shouting, 'Come on Mummy, come on Mummy,' desperate to show off - but I ended up having to tell him to stop. I couldn't keep up.
"As we made our way back home, he asked if he could have another go, but I couldn't physically keep up, so I resorted to pushing him on the bike.
"He was so upset. I could tell he wanted to cry. We usually love to celebrate milestones together, but this time we couldn't because Mummy was too fat."
Sammy, who is also mum to daughter, Tallulah, three, and lives in Hampshire, decided enough was enough and promised she would never miss another milestone in her children's lives.
The September 2017 incident was the final humiliation for 5ft 1in Sammy, then a size 18 - with a body mass index of 37, compared to the NHS recommended level of between 18.5 and 25 - who signed up with a weight loss consultant and soon saw the pounds fly off.
She said: "When I couldn't keep up with Archie on his pushbike I could tell how disappointed he was. I got home and burst into tears.
"But that moment changed everything and it's benefited the whole family.
"Now the kids have a different mummy, one that isn't hiding away but instead is giving them a moment they'll cherish forever."
Growing up, Sammy came from an active family and would often spend her weekends on cycling trips with them, or ice skating with her friends.
But after leaving home and fending for herself, she noticed the weight start to pile on, especially after giving birth to Archie in August 2012.
"When I moved in with Graham, I ate a lot of food that you would think is healthy, but it was pre-packed and full of hidden calories," she said.
"I'd eat spag bol or chilli, but always out of a jar, not realising it wasn't really good for you.
"Then when we had Archie, we got into a routine of popping down to the corner shop for a few treats after a stressful day - only it ended up being every night.
"I'd send Graham down to the shop and he'd come back with his arms full of sweets and chocolate."
A size 12 to 14 throughout her late teens and early 20s, by the time Archie was five, Sammy, then 28, was tipping the scales at 14 stone, and squeezing into a size 18.
And after feeling she let him down when he wanted to race her on his bike, the devoted mum became determined to change.
Contacting her local 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan consultant in September 2017, she adopted a strict meal plan - taking her from saying she "couldn't even guess" how many calories she was eating to consuming just 1,400 a day, considerably less than the 2,000 maintenance level recommended by the NHS.
Swapping buttered white toast and creamy pasta for porridge and prawn salads, in the first week alone Sammy lost an impressive 8lb.
"I've tried dieting before but the 1:1 diet was different and that's why I knew it would work. It's all about portion control," she explained.
"The thing that really helped me was the one to one support that the consultant offers.
"I was fired up and ready, and stuck to the plan religiously."
Incredibly, Sammy managed to lose a whopping five stone in as many months, and by February 2018, was down to 8st 13lb.
But she says exercise also helped with her transformation, adding: "Once the weight started coming off, I began exercising more than I had in years - going on walks and using the car less and less.
"Then I decided to do something that I never thought possible - I got my old bike out.
"Graham and I worked out I hadn't ridden it in 15 years.
"But now at the weekends, instead of sitting at home watching movies, we'll be out as a family on our bikes or down at the local skating rink.
"My transformation has really benefited the whole family."
Maintaining her incredible weight loss for over 18 months, Sammy feels like a new woman, and has even begun working as a 1:1 Diet consultant herself.
"I've got my life back and there's no way I'd ever want to return to how I was," she said.
"My old life use to revolve around food - date nights at Pizza Hut and family trips to McDonald's or the cinema, with lots of cr*p food.
"But now I've found myself - and my confidence - and my kids can have a healthy mummy that they're proud of."
Sammy's diet before
Breakfast: Buttered white toast or sugary cereal
Lunch: Cheese and ham sandwich
Dinner: Creamy pasta out of a jar
Snacks: Chocolate bars and crisps
Sammy's diet now
Breakfast: Porridge
Lunch: Prawn salad
Dinner: Courgetti Bolognaise
Snacks: Protein bars
