I was so fat two people fitted in my tent of a wedding dress – so I cancelled my big day
WHEN Natalie Cowie tried on her wedding dress, there was one promise she made to herself.
She wasn’t going to walk down the aisle weighing the size she was - with her dress hanging on her "like a tent".
So she cancelled her wedding, and instead focused on losing weight before she could reschedule her big day.
She managed to lose a staggering seven stone, and finally re-booked her wedding day two years later.
This time she was thrilled with her dress and tied the knot with husband Brian, 53.
Natalie, 42, a financial controller, who lives in Essex with account manager Brian, said: "We had an amazing wedding day after all that.
Read more on weight loss
"Second time around we invited lots more guests as I wanted to share it with lots of friends, instead of trying to hide away from people as I was so overweight."
Natalie started to pile on the pounds when she started undergoing tests for multiple sclerosis and lost her mum too in 2019.
"I was in a bad place, and I had to comfort eat a lot," she said.
"We had booked our wedding for August the following year in Cyprus.
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"My parents had got married themselves in Cyprus and because I lost mum, I felt that it would bring me closer to her."
But when she tried on her wedding dress weighing nearly 17 stone, she knew that there was no way she wanted to get married looking as heavy as she did.
Natalie said: "My dress looked like a tent and I just felt horrendous.
"I didn’t feel good about myself, so I knew that I wouldn’t be happy getting married in front of everyone. So I decided to cancel the wedding."
'Terrible snacker'
The financial controller still wanted marry her fiance Brian - but not like this.
"We had been together since 2014 but I’d known him for more than 15 years, as he used to sing in my local pub," Natalie recalled.
"So when I went for a drink I’d see him and we chatted as friends. We were both in relationships at the time, but then in 2014, both of us were single and it was the right time for us to get together.
"I wanted to get married, but I didn’t want to be this big on our special day, so I knew I had to do something about it. If it meant cancelling the wedding, then it had to be done."
The weight started to drop off me and I felt so much better about myself. It completely turned my life around
Natalie Cowie
She started the Lighter Life Diet in January 2022 and replaced her meals with special soups, shakes and protein bars.
";It really changed my diet," Natalie said.
"For breakfast I used to have cereal and toast, followed by a sandwich for lunch and then a home cooked meal at night.
"But I was a terrible snacker, and I’d eat chocolate in the morning, then have some more in the afternoon and then in the evening too, whilst I was watching TV."
Diet wasn't the only thing Natalie switched up.
"I exercised a lot more too, and the weight started to drop off me. It gave me much more energy and I felt so much better about myself. It completely turned my life around."
When Natalie had lost seven stone by July 2022, and weighed a much slimmer 9st 5, she re-booked her wedding for the following year.
"I managed to lose seven stone in seven months," she said.
How to lose weight safely
Losing weight should be a long-term commitment to healthier living, rather than any drastic measures.
The NHS tips - which can be adopted slowly - include:
- Get active for 150 minutes a week – you can break this up into shorter sessions
- Aim to get your 5 A Day – 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit or vegetables count as 1 portion
- Aim to lose 1 to 2lbs, or 0.5 to 1kg, a week
- Read food labels – products with more green colour coding than amber and red are often a healthier option
- Swap sugary drinks for water – if you do not like the taste, add slices of lemon or lime for flavour
- Cut down on food that's high in sugar and fat – start by swapping sugary cereal for wholegrain alternatives
- Share your weight loss plan with someone you trust – they can help motivate you when you have a bad day
Read about:
- The five fat loss foundations
- The calorie formula for weight loss
- The perfect portion sizes for meals to lose weight
- Sun Health's 8-week weight loss kick start plan
"But then I knew I needed to keep it off. So I did a maintenance plan.
"Now I have a yoghurt or smoothie in the morning, then maybe a Lighter Life meal pot for my lunch, and then I’d have a home cooked meal at night.
"And I’m still exercising a lot too. I ran a half marathon in October and I’m due to run another one in April too.
"By being careful I’ve managed to maintain the weight I lost."
The couple rebooked their wedding for July last year, and married locally in Essex.
"We decided not to go to Cyprus and get married at home instead," said Natalie.
"It meant that lots more guests could come to the wedding then, and we wanted to celebrate with as many friends and family as we could.
"Because I felt so much more confident in what I looked like, I wanted as many people there to celebrate with us, and it was the most amazing day.
"Before we got married, I actually put on my old wedding dress - but this time my daughter Evie, 14, actually fitted in the dress with me! There was more than enough room for the two of us.
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"Brian has always said that he loves me the same whatever size I am. But he does think I look great now.
"I can buy clothes that I like now as well, instead of garments that look like a tent when I put them on. I love clothes shopping now, and I hated it before."
