Abride-to-be has shed a whopping nine stone after her engagement photos left her feeling ‘ashamed’ and ’embarrassed’. Melissa Curran, from Glasgow, was tipping the scales at 23st and was struggling to fit into her size 28 jeans.
The 30-year-old said she had always struggled with her weight – even going to Slimming World in primary school aged around 11 – and had tried every diet and shake, but had no luck with ditching the pounds.
Melissa had previously considered weight loss surgery years and after seeing her engagement photos she felt “embarrassed” and “ashamed” she decided to make a change. She lost two stone herself before she flew to Istanbul, Turkey, for a £2,700 gastric sleeve and shed a further seven stone in nine months.
Now 14st and a slender size 16, Melissa feels “confident” and “comfortable” in herself and can’t wait to be snapped when she ties the knot to her fiancé, Ross Mcavoy, 34, a factory worker, in October next year.
Melissa, a document controller, said: “That was the final straw when I saw my engagement photos. I felt embarrassed. I felt ashamed. Seeing those photos I didn’t want that as my wedding photos. Now I’m not terrified of photos anymore.”
Melissa, who has struggled with her weight since she was a child, said: “I remember when I was in primary school and going to Slimming World. I tried everything under the sun. I would lose maybe a stone or two but it would stop working and then I’d pile it all back on and more.”
Melissa used to eat around three takeaways a week and struggled with snacking – reaching for five cans of fizzy drinks a day and going through a multipack bag of crisps in one sitting. But when Melissa saw the photos from her engagement party in March 2022 it pushed her to look back into surgery options.
Melissa wasn’t able to get surgery on the NHS so she researched surgeons abroad and settled on a clinic in Istanbul. She was 21st 9lbs when she flew out on New Year’s Day in 2023 for a gastric sleeve the next day. Melissa said: “It was a really strange feeling waking up. There was no hunger at all.”
Melissa started to lose weight quickly and she realised how much she had lost when she put on her favourite leather jacket in February 2023 and could zip it up for the first time. Melissa dropped seven stone by September 2023 and has now reached 14st exactly, saying she feels like “a new person” and revealing she “loves getting [her] photo taken.”
Melissa now has “too much choice” for what to wear and tucks tops into jeans instead of hiding in oversized jumpers and opts for shorter and more fitted dresses. She said: “I don’t hide in my clothes. It’s a really nice feeling.”
Melissa has switched the takeaways and snacks for more home-cooked meals and now feels more “confident”. She said: “I was always scared to speak up – I didn’t want the attention. Now I’m so much more outgoing.”
Melissa is now feeling excited for her upcoming wedding – and has ordered her gown. She said: “I’m really excited. Before I wanted a dress that covers up – I’ve not gone for that. It’s more floaty at the top, it’s more revealing. I wanted sleeves before but my arms will be out. I feel comfortable, confident.”
Diet before
Breakfast: Coffee and syrup
Lunch: Salad/ scrambled egg/ omelette – big portion
Dinner: Takeaway
Snacks: Multibag of crisps, chocolate bar, four to five cans of fizzy juice
Diet now
Breakfast: Coffee with protein
Lunch: Scrambled eggs
Dinner: Home-cooked meal – eg. chicken and vegetables
Snacks: One bag of crisps, one chocolate biscuit with a cup of tea
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