“I was obese – now I’ve got a 15in waist”
Sammy Wilson used to be a size 22 and addicted to junk food. But with her new tiny figure, she’s almost unrecognisable…
While many women dream of having an hourglass figure, Sammy Wilson has taken it one step further. Her waist is now just over 15 inches when she’s in a corset and only 21 inches when she’s out of it – the average UK woman’s waist is 33 inches.
It’s an incredible transformation as, up until two years ago Sammy – who used to binge on junk food and hated the way she looked – was officially obese. At 5ft 4, she weighed 13st 5lbs, and was a size 22. Now, slender Sammy weighs 8st 2lbs and wears a tiny size 4.
Single mum Sammy, who has a son, Gabriel, two, says, “I love the way I look now. Some people call me a freak and say I look deformed, but I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved.
“People think I must have an eating disorder or some other condition – but just because you’re different, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.”
DETERMINED
And Sammy has no plans to stop – she’s determined to have the world’s smallest waist and get down to 14 inches as, currently, the record holder is Cathie Jung who’s also got a 15 inch waist with a corset. She insists, “I won’t stop until I get there!”
Sammy, 26, was bigger than her peers as a child, but gained weight in her late teens.
She says, “My family were all slim, but I worked in fast food outlets and would just eat free burgers and chips all day as it was a perk we got. And between 7pm and 8pm, I would be eating pizzas and pies, I could easily get through a whole box of 12 doughnuts in one sitting, followed by more chocolate and crisps. No one ever mentioned my weight, so I was in denial about quite how big I was.”
Surprisingly, Sammy actually began to lose weight when she was pregnant with Gabriel.
She says, “I felt sick all the time and I didn’t want any of my usual junk foods – the smell of fried food made my stomach churn. Instead, I drank loads of water and started enjoying fruit and vegetables.”
By the time Gabriel was born in September 2018, under the guidance and support from her midwife, she’d lost over 3st thanks to healthy eating. And over the following months, she was determined not to fall back into bad habits. As well as changing her diet, she began exercising for at least an hour a day, going for long walks and doing weight training, meaning she dropped more weight and weighed 8st 9lbs.
Then, in April 2019, she discovered waist training corsets – made famous by celebs such as Kim Kardashian. Sammy saw an influencer on Instagram wearing one and, liking how she looked, she decided to try one out for herself.
BRUISED RIBS
Sammy says, “I did lots of research and joined waist training groups. You can’t just go straight out and buy a tiny one to squeeze into. You have to get your body used to it and do it gradually, otherwise you will harm yourself as you can bruise your ribs or even damage your organs. You have to be mindful and educated about what you’re doing.”
She adds, “I felt more confident and loved being able to wear sexy, more revealing clothes, like dresses and tops, which I’d never have dreamt of wearing before.
“Though, sadly, my husband didn’t like it and it was part of the reason why we eventually split up. It was sad, but it was more important that I put myself first.”
In total, Sammy’s bought around 30 corsets, ranging in size from 18 to 15 inches. They are all custom made and cost between £300 and £500 each.
She says, “It only takes about five minutes to put them on and I wear them all day, even for exercising and during my shifts in the warehouse where I work. I only take them off when I’m in the shower or asleep. Though, once a month, I will keep it on for 36 hours at a time because the more you train, the more your body reacts to it.
“If I don’t wear one, I feel naked and exposed! I love the shape it’s given me.”
And Sammy also controls her diet very carefully.
She says, “Wearing a corset
reduces my appetite. I watch what I eat very carefully – I eat between 1,300 and 1,800 calories a day, whereas I used to eat up to 8,000. I mostly eat fruit and vegetables and track everything on my phone.”
Sammy’s extraordinary shape draws comments wherever she goes.
DAMAGING
Sammy, from Georgia, USA, says, “Some people are blown away and just love the way I look – some of my social media followers even buy me corsets to wear.
“But other people are really mean and say I look like a freak and say that I’m damaging myself. I’m not worried about my health, I feel better than ever. I’m sure I’ll get down to 14 inches without any complications.
“My friends and family are all really supportive.
And I certainly don’t have any problems dating – though I’m not in a serious relationship at the moment. Men notice me more than they ever did before, which is a really nice feeling.
“But, most importantly, I’m happy – I used to be obese and now I have a 15-inch waist. I feel so much better than I did back then. I was tired all the time and sluggish. Now, I feel so much better mentally as well as physically.
“I love my tiny waist – and can’t wait to be even smaller.”