Lauren ready to wed after shedding pounds
A MUM has shed a third of her bodyweight so that she can walk down the aisle after years of putting off marriage because she dreaded shopping for wedding dresses. Lauren Mcgeorge dropped over five stone in less than a year and now that she feels fabulous has decided she can finally be her partner’s bride. The 31-year-old from Stanley, County Durham, used to hate any kind of clothes shopping and felt insecure trying anything on, worrying if they would fit. But after a staggering transformation earning her the new nickname “skinny Minnie” among colleagues she has booked her wedding and cannot wait to begin her search for dresses.
Speaking to the Sunday Sun, Lauren said: “I’ve always hated any kind of shopping and the thought of trying on wedding dresses used to scare me.
“Now I can’t wait to try them on, I’m really excited!”
After looking in the mirror soon after her 30th birthday and realising she had become “colossal”, she signed up to the Stanley branch of Slimming World.
“I had always intended to do something but kept putting it off”, she said.
“I have some friends who had some success stories with it so I decided to join.
“I have got kids so I wanted to keep up with them, but it was a body image thing too.”
Although she went with a friend, Lauren said that walking into the first session weighing just over 16 stone was nerve wracking because she did not know what to expect.
However, her anxiety soon vanished when she discovered how relaxed and judgementfree the group felt.
Ten months after Lauren first stepped on the Slimming World scales she now weighs only 11 stone, feels much healthier and can do things was once unable to.
She said: “The hardest part was trying to cut out sweets and crisps.
“Because my partner Scott is away a lot for work, I would make the kids’ dinner each night and pick at bits when cooking.
“Now I just divide my plate into protein, carbs and a load of vegetables. Instead of having sweets, I’ll have an apple.”
Lauren said her newfound healthy lifestyle has trickled down to her four children, Kyle, 14, Aiden, 7, Dominic, 4 and Emily, 2, who now also enjoy plenty of fruit and vegetables.
She plans to marry sign fitter Scott Ritchie, 33, next September.