‘I slimmed for my BIG DAY’
Sam Forway couldn’t bear the thought of being a big bride, so set herself a longed-for target – to be slim and happy…
When my boyfriend, John, now 52, got down on one knee, I gasped. We were at home – in the bathroom of all places – but I didn’t need a moment to think.
‘Of course I’ll marry you!’ I squealed.
As he placed the sparkly silver-diamond ring on my finger, I looked down at my big frame, and my excitement vanished.
‘I don’t want to be a fat bride,’ I said to John, deflated.
‘ You’re beautiful as you are,’ he said, kissing me on the hand.
I couldn’t wait to marry John, an RAC worker, who I’d met in 2012. He’d come to my rescue after my car broke down.
He was funny and handsome, and we clicked right away. I was smitten.
After he towed my car back to my home in Kent, he gave me his number and we started dating soon after.
He adored my four children; Brad, 21, Summah, 20, Kayden, 10, and Bertie, eight, and fitted right into the family.
We were happy and content, but my weight gradually crept up over the years.
As a full-time mum of four and always on the go, I relied on takeaways for lunch and dinner, and snacked on cakes and chocolate bars throughout the day. By the time I was 36, I was 17st – far too big for my 5ft 2in height.
So, when John popped the question in November 2018, I was determined not to be a fat bride.
‘I’m going to lose weight for the wedding,’ I told John, defiantly.
The following month, we booked a church and the big day was set for 24 August 2019. It gave me eight focused months to do something about my weight.
Soon after, I visited a bridal shop with my aunty, Fred, 51, and tried on a gown. I was a size 24, but I asked the assistant if I could try on a size 16.
No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t fasten the back. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that the dress felt tight around my chest and I couldn’t breathe.
‘It won’t fit! I feel so ugly,’ I said, bursting into tears.
‘Don’t worry, we’ll find you a different dress,’ Fred replied, comforting me.
That afternoon, when I got home, I browsed online for wedding dresses.
Then I spotted my dream dress – a slim-fitting white princess gown with a tutu-style skirt. It was beautiful.
‘I’m going to order this in a size 10,’ I said, showing Fred. She looked at the dress and then at me.
‘Are you sure? Don’t put so much pressure on yourself,’ she said. But at 16st 4lbs, it was all the motivation I needed.
The next day I threw out all the junk food in the house, binned the takeaway menus and started eating healthy.
For breakfast I’d have a slice of toast, for lunch and dinner I’d eat chicken, potatoes and vegetables, and I made sure that I only ate 1,200 calories a day.
It was tough at first – I missed my sweet treats and stodgy dinners. But I started walking three miles every morning before I dropped Kayden and Bertie off at school.
A few weeks later, my dream dress arrived, and I hung it up in Fred’s bedroom. I kept a picture of it on my phone, so I could look at it every day to spur me on.
Every Saturday morning, I weighed myself, and was thrilled when, after a month, I’d shed a stone.
I was so pleased with my progress, but it was difficult. To help me stay on track, I allowed myself cheat days on Saturdays. I’d gorge on crusty bread, cheese and chocolate.
But one day, it made me physically sick. I knew it was my body’s way of making me stop. Yet, I realised I could still enjoy the occasional chocolate bar and lose weight – as long as it wasn’t every day.
Soon I was losing 2-3lbs a week. I felt more motivated than ever and took up badminton twice a week to help me keep fit and tone up.
By April 2019, I’d lost more than 4st and fitting into my dream dress seemed more achievable than ever. Then, in July, one month before the wedding, I walked past an old
school friend on the way home from work.
She looked straight passed me and carried on walking. Perhaps she didn’t recognise me, I thought, smiling to myself. As the wedding day drew nearer, I tried my beautiful gown on. It was tight around the back, but I still had time…
By the time our August wedding date was almost upon us, I’d shed nearly
8st and weighed 9st – much healthier for my height. I couldn’t believe
I’d done it!
Two weeks before the big day, I tried on my wedding dress. It slipped on so easily – in fact if anything, it was a bit big!
‘It’s baggy around my back and bum!’ I laughed to Fred, pinching the loose material.
‘ You’ll have to put some weight back on,’ she joked. I felt amazing.
On the morning of my wedding day, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror. I was a slinky size 10 and felt like a million dollars in my dream dress.
Later that day I walked down the aisle of St Leonard’s Church, in Hythe, Kent, and all eyes were on me.
As I reached John at the altar, tears filled his eyes. ‘ You look absolutely stunning,’ he said and, for the first time in years, I actually felt it.
During the day I was flooded with compliments about my weight loss. Everyone said I looked like a different woman and I knew the kids were proud of me, too.
Now, at 38, I feel happy in my own skin again. John and I are happily married, and I’m more energetic than ever.
I still play badminton and take the kids on long walks along the beach every day. My fairy tale of looking like a princess on my wedding day finally came true. And I know I’ll never be big again.
‘I kept a picture of the dress on my phone, so I could look at it every day to spur me on’