Bride-to-be drops two dress sizes in five months and drops more pounds during lockdown

A bride-to-be has revealed how she’s managed to stick to her weight loss regime ahead of her wedding, despite the challenges of lockdown. 

Accountant Laura Mee-Bishop, from Derby, is only a couple of pounds away from her 12 stone target, which she set for her October 2020 wedding.

She started her weight loss journey at the beginning of the year but has managed to keep the weight off – and even lose some more – throughout lockdown, thanks to regular deliveries of lean meat.

Laura, who lives with her fiancé Adam, vowed to shape up in time for her wedding after seeing a photo of herself at Christmas when she weighed 14st 1lbs and wore a size 18/20. 

Poor portion control and an unhealthy snacking habit had led the 28-year-old to gradually pile on the pounds, and she felt too heavy for her 5ft 2in frame, struggling to do simple things like run up the stairs without feeling breathless.

Since January, Laura has lost almost two stone, and an additional 9-10lbs during lockdown.   

So, vowing to shape up for her wedding, she started by overhauling the couple’s eating habits, and began attending regular spin classes at her local gym.

She placed a big order of lean chicken, meatballs, sausages and pork tenderloin from online retailer musclefood.com to stock up her freezer, and planned meals around the contents – from burgers and fajitas to curries and simple meat and veg combinations.

Within a matter of weeks Laura had already lost a stone, and the weight carried on dropping off. She’s now lost around two stone overall.

Even when lockdown was announced on 23 March, Laura was able to stick to her new healthy-eating regime by ordering bulk meat deliveries, and because Adam is classed as a keyworker, musclefood made sure the couple received their orders quickly.

At this point, the couple had moved in with Adam’s parents to help save for a mortgage, and the entire household have since adopted a healthy lifestyle.

Laura, who is now a size 14-16, even goes for regular runs with her father-in-law, following the Couch-to-5K programme together.

Laura and Adam have also managed to save hundreds of pounds by bulk-buying meat and store cupboard essentials – over £500 a month in some instances – which will go towards their wedding and honeymoon.

Laura said: ‘When I saw the photo of myself from Christmas, I knew I had to make a change. 

‘I just couldn’t imagine walking down the aisle like that, and I definitely wasn’t prepared to pay out hundreds of pounds for a photographer, to just feel self-conscious and hate the photos.

‘I’d developed some unhealthy habits over the last couple of years – for example, I’d snack whilst cooking, and my portion sizes were just out of control.

‘The amount of food I used to eat would easily stretch across two or three meals now.

‘It’s been a huge learning curve, but mine and Adam’s lives have definitely changed for the better – despite the pandemic!

‘We’ve lost weight whilst saving money for our wedding and honeymoon, and we’re feeling much happier and healthier for it.’

She added: ‘I’m also so much more confident now compared to this time last year. I know how to fuel my body properly and I’m mindful of how many calories I’m burning.

‘Our October wedding may be postponed because of the pandemic, but if so, I know I’ll be able to keep the weight off and stay in shape because my whole mindset has changed.’