A woman has lost seven stone after finding love and being desperate to find a wedding dress that fits.
Meredith Hutson, 26, was left devastated after trying on wedding dresses following her engagement and finding they wouldn't zip up due to her weight.
Meredith - who weighed 18st 3lb at her heaviest - set to work on losing weight in August 2019 with just over a year to go until her wedding to now husband Steven Hutson, 25, and now weighs 10st 4lb.
By her wedding day in November 2020 , Meredith had lost 3st 5lb and fit into her wedding dress but she didn't stop there, as she went on to lose another four stone and dropped eight dress sizes.
Meredith, who works as a hairdresser and fitness coach, went from a dress size of 22 to a dress size of six in the space of two years.
Meredith, from Texas, US, said: "My whole life I was overweight and no matter what fad diet I tried, I would lost a little bit and then after a few months I would give up and gain it all back plus extra.
"When I was 24, I was faced with serious health issues and was concerned about my overall health and future given my weight so everyday, I was suffering from headaches, rashes, nausea, and doctors could never find a problem besides a thyroid condition.
"One day, I realised my health had reached this low point because of my weight and that's when I made the decision to start my weight loss journey.
"After getting engaged, the wedding motivated me to lose weight because when I was dress shopping, I had trouble fitting in dresses or doing the zip up at several stores.
"It was really discouraging but by my wedding day, I felt beautiful and although I wasn't at my goal weight, I was so proud of what I had accomplished.
"My husband has supported me so much on this journey and he's always encouraged me to stay on track."
Meredith first started losing weight by joining a gym in August 2019 and changing her eating habits.
The fitness fanatic went from weighing 18st 3lb to 10st 4lb in just two years and is now helping others do the same.
She added: "In a little over two years, I lost all of that weight whilst gaining muscle mass from simply counting my macros and eating in the correct calorie deficit along with weight training six days a week.
"My sizes changed completely; I went from a 3XL to a small in clothes and my bra size went from a DDD to a B.
"I started posting on social media when I first started losing weight and the support I was getting from others was amazing so I pushed even harder and shared more to show others that it could be done.
"I then started giving others advice at that point and then found a true passion in helping others.
"My husband cooks for us daily and at the beginning of my journey, he worked away from home so he would spend his days teaching me everything nutrition wise so I was able to cook the right food for myself when he was away.
"I am still in the process of transforming my body and am still currently in a calorie deficit as of now.
"Although I am way pass my goal, my plan is to stay in a deficit for a little bit longer to target certain stubborn areas and then in a few months I will be doing a small bulk to strictly gain muscle mass."
DIET BEFORE :
Breakfast - Dougnuts
Lunch - Takeaway
Dinner - Takeaway or microwave meal
Snacks - Crisps, pasta, and sweets
DIET NOW:
Breakfast - Egg whites, turkey bacon, and English muffin or protein pancakes
Lunch - Chicken salad sandwich
Dinner - Grilled chicken with black beans or potatoes with vegetables
Snacks - Beef jerky, yoghurt, protein drinks, and protein bars
