Bride sheds four stone in less than six months to shrink into dream gown

A woman who bought her dream wedding dress three sizes too small, as an incentive to lose weight, has revealed how she was able to shed her excess weight in just four months.

Samantha Parramore, 32, from Devon, who weighed 17st 5lb at her heaviest, piled on the pounds, despite visiting a slimming club on and off for years, by binge eating.

Having struggled with her body size since age 16, Samantha became desperate to shed her excess pounds in time for her June wedding. 

The recruitment consultant who now weighs 13st 5lb, revealed how buying her dream wedding dress in three sizes too small helped her stay focus to achieve her weight loss. 

Samantha Parramore (pictured now), 32, from Devon, who weighed 17st 5lb at her heaviest, revealed how she was able to shed four stone in four months, to wear her dream wedding dress

Samantha (pictured before) had struggled with her body image since the age of 16, she revealed her weight escalated despite visiting a local slimming club

Samantha (pictured before) had struggled with her body image since the age of 16, she revealed her weight escalated despite visiting a local slimming club 

Samantha revealed that she had always felt overwhelmed by her food addiction and became obsessed with numbers on the scales while attending a local slimming club. 

She said: ‘From the age of 16 I’ve struggled with my body image and self-confidence –  I just never felt good enough. I found that running helped me manage my emotions but as I got older I found comfort in food instead. 

Cookies were my weakness, I couldn’t just have one, I’d finish the whole packet even though I knew I wasn’t hungry for them.

‘I’d been going to a slimming club on and off for years in the hope of losing weight, stuck in a cycle of binging with no idea of how to break out of it. 

‘I was constantly feeling overwhelmed by this addiction I had with food and I just became obsessed with the number on the scales.

‘Then in January 2019 I came home from the slimming meeting and burst into tears. ‘Why wasn’t this working for me?’ I asked my mum and then fiancé, Warwick. 

Samantha (pictured before) bought her dream wedding dress in three sizes too small, to give herself a visual goal

Samantha (pictured before) bought her dream wedding dress in three sizes too small, to give herself a visual goal 

Samantha (pictured on her honeymoon) revealed she liked LighterLife's total diet because it was the first time in a long time that she wasn't constantly thinking about preparing and planning meals

Samantha (pictured on her honeymoon) revealed she liked LighterLife’s total diet because it was the first time in a long time that she wasn’t constantly thinking about preparing and planning meals

‘In that moment my mum knew I needed a different approach and she suggested LighterLife. She’d been looking into it and thought the combined diet plan and behaviour-change approach was exactly what I needed.

‘On 24th January I went along to my local LighterLife Xpress Slimming Club where I met mentor, Emma. The first thing that struck me about the meeting, other than that it was free, was the lack of weight-loss talk, my weight or weight loss wasn’t disclosed, I wasn’t grilled for having a bad week and food wasn’t the focus. 

‘Instead, after the weigh-ins, the meeting focused around changing our mindset and discussing what was underpinning our relationship with food, something I never had asked myself before.

Diet before… 

Breakfast – muesli or shreddies with sugar and semi skimmed milk

Lunch – jacket potato with butter, tuna and beans

Dinner – big portion of pasta

Snacks – Cookies or cake

Diet now…

Breakfast – Porridge

Lunch – LighterLife Toffee Bar

Dinner – LighterLife Thai Noodles Pot

Snacks – LighterLife Chocolate Mug Cake  

‘With my wedding coming up in June, I had purchased my dream dress three sizes smaller to give myself a visual goal. 

‘I wanted to lose four stone by the wedding and with the LighterLife Total plan I was told I could absolutely reach that goal. Taking a break from ordinary food was revolutionary.

‘I didn’t have to prepare or plan my meals which meant for the first time in a long time I wasn’t constantly thinking about food. I also really liked LighterLife’s total diet replacement meals – Foodpacks – they’re delicious, especially the Chocolate Mug Cake. 

The bride (pictured during her weight loss) revealed she was inspired to visit her local LighterLife Xpress Slimming Club after speaking to her mother

The bride (pictured during her weight loss) revealed she was inspired to visit her local LighterLife Xpress Slimming Club after speaking to her mother

Samantha (pictured in June) who overhauled her body with Lighter Life, lost 8lbs in her first week of following the plan

Samantha (pictured in June) who overhauled her body with Lighter Life, lost 8lbs in her first week of following the plan

‘Who said diet food couldn’t be yummy? I was so surprised how easy it was to follow, too – all I had to do was choose four products for the day and I knew I was getting all the nutrition my body needed without the excess calories.

‘I lost 8lb in my first week. I couldn’t believe it! The rate of weight loss kept me coming back each week and I always felt confident going for my weigh-in.

‘I always stayed for the whole meeting because I loved how the room was filled with so much positivity and comradery. 

Samantha (pictured on her wedding day) says her dream dress once seemed like an unattainable dream, she found comfort throughout her weight loss by attending Light Life meetings

Samantha (pictured on her wedding day) says her dream dress once seemed like an unattainable dream, she found comfort throughout her weight loss by attending Light Life meetings

Samantha (pictured now) now finds herself encouraging other people who join LighterLife Xpress because it worked for her

Samantha (pictured now) now finds herself encouraging other people who join LighterLife Xpress because it worked for her

‘We recently discussed compliments and how we receive them. It was so interesting how we all resonated with deflecting kind words rather than saying thank you. 

‘It’s like it’s ingrained in us to follow up a compliment with ‘Oh, this old thing? It’s only from a charity shop’ or ‘Thanks, but I’ve still got a long way to go’.

‘With the help of my mentor and the support of my family I found the confidence to feel like a beautiful bride, it’s great to look like one but to truly feel content with yourself is the real goal. 

‘I felt amazing on our wedding day, wearing they dress which had once seemed like an unattainable dream. Dreams really do come true when you work hard and give it your all – I’m so proud of myself.

‘The free meetings were an absolute lifeline. I learnt so much about myself. It’s so comforting to know you’re not alone and I now find myself encouraging others to come along because LighterLife Xpress has worked so well for me. 

‘Coming from someone who’s tried every diet out there, that’s really saying something!’

For more information on LighterLife’s free Xpress meetings visit lighterlife.com

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