Sheila McInnes tells her weight-loss story

Nov 22 2009 by Mieka Smiles, Sunday Sun

NEWLYWED Sheila McInnes is quite literally half the woman she used to be after shedding an amazing 12 stones to wow in her wedding dress. MIEKA SMILES met her . . .

“It gradually just went up and up and up and I just kept buying bigger clothes.” Her fuller figure often led to jibes and insults: “I had some really bad experiences when I was younger - people would say I had such a pretty face and that it was such a shame.

“They would say ‘have you ever thought about losing weight?’. Some people are very rude.”

But as well as emotional setbacks, there were also practical ones: “My partner used to have to tie my shoes, he used to have to help me out of my chair.

“I was tired and lethargic but I still forced myself to do things.

“I had to ask for an extra lap belt when I was on a plane once - I was mortified that it didn’t fit me. The tray wouldn’t pull down in front of me.

“I don’t think I had much confidence either and used to apologise after I said anything.” Sheila admits her diet before embarking on LighterLife left a lot to be desired: “I didn’t think that I was overeating at the time - but I was. I must have been. I remember grazing all day. “I also had takeaways all of the time and I liked to cook and bake things. I would make things thinking they were for everyone else but it was really me eating it. I comfort ate a lot.”

Sheila says she adapted to the strict regime more easily than she expected, only going back to eating regular food 12 weeks ago: “Because the weight fell off so quickly it spurred me on.

“It was kind of a relief that I didn’t have to think about it. I didn’t have to count points. It was just a break from it.

“Everyone was really interested and they all encouraged me to keep me going.”

But Sheila stressed that the counselling from her LighterLife mentor Susan Hampton was fundamental to her success: “It wasn’t the food that helped as much as the counselling - it has been brilliant.”

It was only after the weight started to drop off that Sheila started to plan her dream wedding with her now husband Brian, 38, a reporting analyst.

The pair tied the knot on October 25 at The Sporting Lodge in Middlesbrough: “I didn’t lose weight to get married. It was when I started losing it I thought ‘I can do it now’.

“We were already engaged; I’d just never planned the wedding as I felt too big. I’m glad I waited. It was lovely.”

As well as the LighterLife regime Sheila went to pilates twice a week and took part in brisk walks to help her look her best in her dress: “My wedding dress was a corset type and when I got to 12 stone my dressmaker told me to stop losing weight.

“The morning of the wedding was all a bit surreal. Sometimes I look at the pictures and think ‘is that me?! Is that really me?!’ and just have a daft grin on my face.”

She added: “I would recommend it to anybody but you have to be willing to put the effort in. You have got to realise it’s in your hands. It’s your choice.”

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