​MICKEY MOUSE DIET - I LOST 8st TO BE A SKINNY MINNIE!

When I got stuck in a water slide at Disneyland as a hulking 16 stone it was the final straw. Now, I'm a skinny Minnie! By Jade Shephard, 28/?p=p8030

Going to Disneyland Florida was supposed to be a holiday of a lifetime. My son, Cameron, was only three months old and it was our first family trip abroad. I knew I certainly wasn’t at my slimmest, but as a new mum I cut myself a bit of slack. It was only when we arrived at the theme park that I was forced to realise just how big my size 22 bum really was. Me and my fiance Luke were queuing excitedly for a rollercoaster when one of the staff pulled me out of the queue. “We just need to check you’re not too big for this ride,” they explained, before sizing me up. “We’ll put you in one of the seats for larger people,” I was told, as I was ushered onto the ride. Surely I wasn’t that huge? But I couldn’t be in denial for long, just days later I got stuck on a flume at one of the waterparks. Humiliated, back home I pledged it was time to change. 

I joined a slimming club and weighed in at a huge 15st 12lbs. It was even worse than I thought! But right from the start I attacked the new healthy meal plan with gusto. I ditched the cosy takeaways for homemade fresh food, and soon the weight was falling off me. Then, several stones later, I decided I was ready for a challenge I’d been putting off for ages… my wedding! I’d been engaged to Luke for a few years, but I always found a reason not to tie the knot. At the back of my mind was a nagging doubt… would I ever be a slim, beautiful bride? But with a new found confidence, we set a date and by the time I walked down the aisle in April 2013 I was a sexy size 8. I’d lost 7st 10lbs! Of course there was only one place to spend our honeymoon - Florida! This time I knew it would be different. Instead of puffing and panting round the theme parks, I recreated my horrible fat holiday poses from before. Finally feeling like a skinny minnie was the best wedding present ever.

Jade was so proud of her holiday weight loss and when we helped her sell her story to two women's magazines, she helped inspire countless other women too. If you want to share your slimming success, why not contact our team on 0117 973 3730 to see how we can help.