An obese bride who walked down the aisle weighing 145kg has celebrated her 10th wedding anniversary by trying on her old dress after dropping half her body weight – and was stunned to discover both she and her seven-year-old son fitted into it.
Mum-of-one Belinda Brodie’s obese frame made it difficult to find the perfect dress for her wedding day back in 2009 and the 32-year-old was forced to order a custom-made size 24 white gown online in order to tie the knot with hubby Travis Brodie, 31.
But since 2014 inspirational Belinda, who is originally from New Zealand but now lives in Perth, Western Australia, has completely turned her life around – dropping an incredible 77kg and six dress sizes.
And on her 10 year wedding anniversary earlier this year, the sales coordinator celebrated the special occasion by trying on her wedding dress again – and was elated at how it completely swamped her new 68kg, size 10 frame – even when she and son Oliver stood in it together.
Belinda said: “My wedding day was one of the happiest moments of my life, but weighing in at 145kg was definitely the hardest part.
“Preparing for the wedding should be a fun experience and finding the perfect dress is the most exciting part.
“Unfortunately, there were very limited options for me locally due to my size, so I had to buy my dress online and have it custom made.
“I still loved every moment of our wedding and felt like a princess.
“Now 20 years on I’ve lost over half my body weight and feel better than ever before.
“My husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary in Bali to enjoy the sunshine and each other’s company.
“I decided a special way to mark the occasion would be to try on my wedding dress again.
“It was really emotional. It brought back the beautiful memories of our wedding day but also how hard it was to actually get a dress due to my size.
“There was so much extra room in the dress that I decided to see if Oliver could fit in the dress, I was a ‘wow’ moment for both of us.
“Even with us both stood in it, we could easily move around in it as there was so much extra room.
“I am so proud of who I have become and what I have achieved. My life had totally changed since I’ve lost the weight and I’m happier and healthier than ever.”
Belinda said her weight slowly began piling on after moving overseas from New Zealand to Australia in 2007 due to not being as active.
The mum’s size would constantly fluctuate due to yo-yo dieting – but began to pile on the pounds more than ever after the birth of her son in 2011.
But in September 2013, Belinda totally overhauled her carb-heavy diet of bread, pastries and pasta with a clean-eating regime that focuses on healthy proteins and fresh fruit and vegetables.
Now Belinda is fitter than she ever has been, relying on Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes six times a week to keep her toned as well as long walks on the beach with her family.
Belinda said she and mine site supervisor husband Travis even plan to renew their wedding vows next year – with the mum excited to snap some new wedding photographs showing off her new svelte figure.
She said: “I tried all the different diets. I’d lose a little weight, but then pile it all back on soon after stopping.
“I wasn’t happy with myself and was 100kg after giving birth to my son. I’d make huge batches of baked goods and eat the entire tray. It was horrible.
“I finally decided to make a real change to my health after I visited Perth Zoo with my son. I couldn’t keep up with him.
“He was running everywhere, and I’d be sweating and totally out of breath. It was so embarrassing.
“The next day I threw out all the bad things from my cupboard and started again. I began jogging each morning, and eventually joined a gym and went to fitness classes.
“I managed to lose 30kg in the first year. I felt incredible, and the weight just kept coming off.
“It was all just clean eating, exercise and determination. It was the best decision I ever made.
“Now I have so much energy, and I’m so motivated.
“I feel like I’ve been reborn and I’m actually living my life.
“Now Travis and I plan to renew our vows next year and I can’t wait to fit into a small dress and capture some new memories in my new body.”
BEFORE DIET
Breakfast: Four pieces of toast, pancakes or waffles (500 calories) Mid-morning snack: Bakery items such as croissants cakes or biscuits (400 calories)
Lunch: Fast food such as McDonald’s/KFC or a pie/sausage roll (800 calories) Afternoon tea: Noodles (400 calories)
Dinner: Usually pasta or fast food (1000 calories)
Dessert: Ice cream or donuts (400 calories)
TOTAL: 3,500 calories
AFTER DIET
Breakfast: Oats or muesli with a coffee (250 calories) Mid-morning snack: Fruit and rice crackers (150 calories)
Lunch: Protein-packed salad (400 calories) Afternoon tea: Piece of fruit and coffee (100 calories)
Dinner: Meat such as chicken, lamb or steak with vegetables (500 calories)
Dessert: Occasionally low-calorie ice-cream or fruit (100 calories)
TOTAL: 1,500 calories
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