AMAZING WEIGHT LOSS FOR BIG DAY I waited 18 years to get married.. now, after losing 8 stone, I finally feel like I can
again. I was eating up to 20 bars of chocolate a day and massive takeaways. My pudding after dinner every night was a family-size bar of Dairy Milk.
“I had zero self-confidence and stopped going out or putting make-up on. I was too big to play with my kids and couldn’t stand more than 10 minutes because of pressure on my ankles.”
But everything changed on a family holiday to Poole in 2014.
“We had a pedal cart to go round the campsite and I had to get off as I was too heavy for Darren to pedal. I got back on and tried to take a family selfie, but I was too big to fit us all in, so a woman offered to do it.
“It was the first picture of me I’d seen in years. I was horrified. My arm was bigger than my head, and my thighs spilled out of the cart. I looked like an obese Donkey Kong!”
CHALLENGE
It was a life-changing moment. Charmaine vowed to lose weight and started the Cambridge 1: 1 diet, replacing meals with nutritious shakes. A 50-day Facebook challenge in 2015 increased her focus.
“My consultants Christine and Costas at 2Cchange were amazing. I knew I had eight or nine stone to lose, but by breaking it down, I knew I could do this.”
While dealing with Nathan and Aimee’s mental health problems, her weight yo-yo’d at first, but by Christmas she was almost at her goal weight of 10st 10lb.
“I was able to fit into some size 8 clothes for the first time since I was 17, and then knew what I had to do,” says Charmaine. “I got a Love Books
Online printed as Darren’s present, with the back page asking if he’d finally marry me – and the kids w a l ked in carrying the ring. He said yes, more than 17 years after we got engaged.
I had already bought a size 12 wedding dress – which I’ve had to have taken in twice. It feels like our lives are so special together.”
The couple are now planning for their big day in March in front of around 100 guests.
“We’ve been through such lows and highs. I’m now 10st 7lb and feeling incredible. And I’ve trained as a Cambridge Weight Plan consultant to inspire others.
“If I can do it, anyone can.”
■ Visit one2onediet.com or contact Charmaine at one2onediet.com/charmaineb
Picture: ROLAND LEON