Hands up if you lost 4 stone

A disastrous date left Sophie feeling low. Now she’s on top of the world after being named Miss Slinky

You too could be Miss Slinky with the Slimming World plan

DRYING out her huge support pants on her new boyfriend’s radiator after spilling wine, Sophie Jude was mortified.

Two dates in, she was less embarrassed about her clumsiness than her “big Bridget Jones knickers” being on full display.

At nearly 13 stone and a size 16, the skincare specialist’s confidence was at rock bottom – and she knew something needed to change.

And now it has, after shedding four stone in a year.

Looking back at the evening when everything changed, Sophie, 23, said: “I ended up spilling a glass of wine on myself and had to change into some of his clothes while I dried mine on the radiator.

“I’d been shopping with my mum and bought some huge control pants to make me look as good as possible in the dress I was wearing.

“But they ended up on his masking her low self-esteem. She said: “As soon as I saw the picture, my heart just sank,

“I felt ashamed that I let myself get to that size. And I was so much bigger than all my other friends.

“I used to spend so much time on my hair and make-up because I was never confident in my body.

“I felt so vulnerable that people had this awful picture of me on their phone. I was so worried in case one of them shared it on social media. I didn’t ever want to feel that way again.”

Sophie, from Nottingham, started noticing that she was piling on the pounds after winning a scholarship to study performing arts in London when she was just 14.

She said: “There was pressure to look a certain way and if I felt down or missed home, I would comfort myself with food.”

Her fuller figure shattered her dream of becoming a dancer.

She said: “On one occasion, a teacher took me outside of the classroom in front of everyone and told me I was talented but I needed to lose weight if I was to make it.

“I gave up on my dream of becoming a dancer because I didn’t feel as though I’d ever be accepted in the industry at the size I was.”

Sophie came home, trained as a make-up artist and began trying every fad diet under the sun.

After meeting Carl, Sophie got pregnant with Vogue, now 15 months old.

Sophie says: “I was so, so happy when Vogue was born, but I knew I needed to get fit and healthy, and be able to run around after my girl.”

She joined the Beeston Slimming World group in Nottinghamshire in September 2016 and finally found something that worked for her.

She said: “At first I was shocked at how much I could eat while still losing weight. With Slimming World, I can still eat curries, pasta dishes, chocolate, wine and chips.

“It’s totally made me rethink my relationship with food and I feel so much better for it.”

Now the future looks bright for Sophie, who is looking forward to marrying Carl in the future.

She said: “Before I lost the weight, I would have been thinking: ‘I need to go on I diet. I won’t feel nice in a wedding dress.’

“But now I will really look forward to wedding shopping.

“I don’t need the support of my big knickers any more.”