Couple celebrate their anniversary by BOTH squeezing into the bride’s wedding dress after she lost 15 STONE
"When I see the picture now I think it's brilliant, it reminds me why I have worked so hard for all of these years and makes me love my husband all the more."
A HAPPILY married couple have celebrated their anniversary by both wearing the brides 60 inch-waist wedding dress after she lost 15 stone – and now the amusing snap has gone viral.
Beckah Henning, 42, weighed a whopping 28 stone 11 pounds at her heaviest and was once turned away from two rollercoasters because she was too fat to ride.
In 2006, after struggling to conceive with her husband Clyde, 41, and being unable to take fertility increasing medication because of her weight, she opted for a gastric bypass.
But after losing and impressive 9 stone 4 pounds and giving birth to her son Cole, now 7, Beckah piled the pounds back on.
That’s when she decided to hire a personal trainer.
Beckah, from Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, USA, altered her diet and embarked on a rigorous exercise program to drop to 13 stone 8 pounds.
Having the body she always dreamed of, on their 16th wedding anniversary in September, Beckah and Clyde took a photo while both fitting in the dress.
The quirky picture went viral with close to 3,000 likes and comments from strangers who can't believe Beckah's remarkable transformation.
Beckah, who works in health care compliance, said: “It was our 16th wedding anniversary, me and my husband were talking about our big day and my wedding dress.
“I made a bet with him that both of us would be able to fit into it at the same time now that I had lost so much weight.
“So we decided to give it a go, we got our seven-year-old to take the picture and it was absolutely hilarious.
“My son didn't realise how big I was before, he asked us who wore the dress and thought we were lying to him because he couldn't believe that I was so overweight before.”
Beckah said she couldn’t believe the reaction the snap got on social media.
She added: “After putting it up online we were overwhelmed because we had thousands of likes on the picture.
“When I see the picture now I think it's brilliant, it reminds me why I have worked so hard for all of these years and makes me love my husband all the more.
“He was with me at my heaviest, he married me at my heaviest and stuck by my side through it all.
“It hasn't been an easy trek, my health, my weight loss and gain, it's all been thrown at him and he's remained constant, he's been incredible.
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“I have a wonderful husband, without him none of this would have happened.”
Beckah believes her weight spiralled out of control because her metabolism slowed down while working long hours and only having time for one or two meals a day, which meant she often opted for quick, unhealthy meals.
Beckah's diet before and after weight loss
BEFORE
Breakfast – nothing or a bagel and cream cheese with added eggs
Lunch – nothing or a pizza slice
Dinner – large leftovers or grilled chicken sandwich with fries
AFTER
Meal one – three egg whites, two turkey sausages
Meal two – humous and vegetable
Meal three – grilled chikcen and vegetables
Meal four – fruit
Meal five – fish and vegetables
Meal six – low calorie yoghurt
She recalled: “Before there were times when I was only eating once or twice a day, they weren't always the healthiest choices and I wasn't eating enough to help my body and I reckon my metabolism was probably working backwards.
“I wouldn't go to amusement parks because of my weight as I knew I wouldn't fit in the rides, it happened twice when I was in front of hundreds of people and was really embarrassing.
“The first incident, I was really upset about and wrote a six-page letter, expressing my anger that it was unfair how some rides were not accessible to larger guests.
“But instead of having a lightbulb moment then, I saw it as everyone else's problem.
“The second time, I thought 'oh my god, it's not happening again' but it did.
“I'd lost 45lb at that point but the armrest still didn't fit, so I got up and walked out calmly, but from then I was determined I'd be damned if I didn't fit in the seat again.
“The next time I went was last year with my son, even then despite losing more than half my body weight, I was having such anxiety about getting onto the ride.
“I feared I wouldn't fit for a third time, I kept thinking 'let me fit, let me fit' and it buckled up.
“It was the first rollercoaster I had been on since my weight loss and it felt incredible.”
But after losing an incredible 15 stone, Beckah was left with saggy, loose skin on her body.
She said it was so bad on her stomach that she looked like she was constantly pregnant.
The excess skin left her with painful sores and humiliating hygiene issues, so two years ago she had a £12, 000 tummy tuck, arm and thigh lift.
Beckah said: “Even after losing 200lb, I still always looked pregnant because of my excess skin.
“My belly really bothered me, I was always very conscious that it smelled bad.
“Because the folds of skin were moist and holding bacteria it was pretty disgusting.
“I would get really bad chaffing, which produced a painful rash and bleeding.”
Beckah is now using her body transformation to inspire others on Instagram and is relishing her extra energy.
She added: “I started losing weight to have a baby and to make sure I would live longer, now I have definitely given myself so many more years.
“I want to be here for my little one, I want to see him have kids and hopefully I can do that now.”