Alyssa to renew marriage vows after shedding 12st

It will be a far cry from her actual wedding day four years ago when she got married in a pair of black trousers and a cream cardigan bought from a supermarket.

Back then the coffee shop supervisor from Shrewsbury tipped the scales at 21st 5lbs.

Being a size 26, Alyssa couldn't fit into a wedding dress and couldn't afford to buy a plus size one. But in May 2014, Alyssa and her husband Pete – a butcher and fishmonger at Sainsbury's – will celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary by renewing their vows complete with "the dress, the suit and the photographer".

For Alyssa, who is originally from California in America, now weighs in at 9st 5lbs and is thrilled with her new shape.

"I was overweight as a child in America and I did pretty much every diet going," said Alyssa.

Her diet had consisted of junk food and high calorie snacks washed down with sugary drinks. But when she moved to England after meeting Pete, Alyssa decided to take proper control of her eating and her health.

"I had found the person that I wanted to spend my life with and I didn't want to eat myself into an early grave," she said.

Money was initially tight for the couple as her husband was a student, and Alyssa lost three stone without dieting.

"After about six or seven months we moved to a better house and I decided I really wanted to make a change," she said. She said she was walking down the stairs when she felt her knees and ankles make a popping noise.

"I knew that this shouldn't be happening to someone in their 20s. I suddenly realised that the doctors weren't lying when they said I needed to lose weight and that, if I didn't, I really was going to end up with heart disease and diabetes. I was only 22 but that was the trigger point for me. I did lots of research online and I came across the Cambridge Diet."

The diet plan involves low-calorie shakes, bars and soups and weekly meetings with a consultant. After getting her doctor's approval, Alyssa met up with Lisa Jones, a Cambridge Weight Plan consultant. Within months, she had dropped from 18 stone to 14 stone.

"At that time I was fine with that. I weaned myself off the plan and I told myself that I was happy with that," said Alyssa.

But after a while she got back on track, dropping to 12 stone. A final push saw Alyssa reach her target of 9st 5lbs and a slender size eight.

"I smile when I look in the mirror. And when I see pictures, I can't believe it's me. It doesn't feel like I have lost 12 stone," she said.

Her husband has been her rock throughout, she said, adding: "Our wedding was spur of the moment because I was in America. It all happened within a month. Pete borrowed his dad's suit and I had black smart trousers and a cardigan. Next year we will have been married for five years. And we will renew our vows with the dress, the suit and the photographer."

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