An obese police officer determined not to be a 'fat bride' has shed 6st 7lbs to walk down the aisle in a fitted size 10 dress – and brave her first bikini in decades on her honeymoon.
Charlotte Hutchison, 29, tipped the scales at 18st when her husband Ricky Hutchison, 33, proposed – and a few months later was hit with dread at the idea of being fat on her big day.
'Embarrassed' by the sheer thought of trying to find a wedding dress to fit her bulky size 20 body was the 'kick' Charlotte needed to finally take control of her bulging waistline.
Swapping bad habits of two takeaways a week and nightly chocolate treats for healthy home-cooked meals and snacks, has seen Charlotte drop a whopping 6st 7lbs.
Before her incredible transformation, investigating officer Charlotte admits she 'paid no attention' to her portion sizes and now eats meals half the size.
By the time the 5ft 6ins bride walked down the aisle, she weighed 11st 7lbs and left her groom 'shell-shocked' as she wowed in a gorgeous size 10 figure-hugging gown.
The newlyweds, who have been together for 11 years, got married on a beach in Florida, US, on October 4 and then stayed on for a sunny honeymoon.
And instead of 'covering up' her body like she once would on holiday, Charlotte's weight loss gave her the self-confidence to strut her stuff in her first bikinis since her early teens.
Charlotte, of Aldershot, Hampshire, said: "I never for a second thought I would wear a wedding dress like the one I got because I never imagined I would lose this much weight.
"I was on a lot of wedding pages on Facebook and Instagram and I would see all these slim women modelling wedding dresses and I never even dreamed that I would be able to look like them.
"It sounds so cliché but I really did feel like a million dollars in my dress. It made all the hard work and effort to lose weight so worth it.
"Ricky was shell-shocked when he saw me walking down the aisle.
"He couldn't really say anything for a little while and I could see him welling up. Then he just turned to me and said 'you look beautiful'.
"All day, people kept telling me how fantastic and stunning I looked.
"We stayed on in Florida for our honeymoon and it is the first holiday I've ever been on where I've had this self-confidence.
"Before when we went on holidays, I would always cover myself up – even at the beach. I always have a cover-up dress or sarong.
"I never felt like I could wear a bikini but this time I just wore bikinis and no cover up. I bought about six different bikinis just because I could.
"It's the first time I've ever enjoyed wearing swimwear and the first time I've worn a bikini since my early teens. It was such an incredible feeling."
Despite 'always knowing' she needed to do something about her weight, Charlotte could never find the motivation she needed – until Ricky popped the question in October 2017.
Determined to look 'nice' in her wedding photos, Charlotte finally had the drive she needed to turn her life around and started following Slimming World from home in February 2018.
A year into her weight loss journey, Charlotte finally had the confidence to go wedding dress shopping and fell in love with her £700 embellished sheath gown the moment she tried it on.
Charlotte bought the dress in a size 12 in February 2019 but lost so much more weight in the lead up to her big day that she needed it taken in six inches.
Charlotte said: "I always knew subconsciously that I needed to lose weight. It was always there in the back of my mind but I just never really did anything about it.
"I would go to the doctor for routine appointments and they always commented 'you really should think about losing weight' but even that didn't give me the kick I needed.
"When we got engaged that finally gave me the kick I needed because I suddenly realised I wanted to look nice in my wedding photos.
"And when I thought about going wedding dress shopping, I knew I couldn't go the way I was. I felt embarrassed at the thought of going before I started my diet.
"I just went to the shop one day on the off chance and tried on a few dresses. The lady in the shop suggested I try on the one I ended up buying.
"As soon as I put it on, I didn't even want to try on anymore. I knew it was the one.
"I didn't put it on again until it was time for the alterations four weeks before the wedding and the seamstress had to take it in three inches on each side.
"I bought it in a size 12 so it was like a size 10 in the end. It was such an amazing feeling and quite a shock. I didn't realise I had lost so much more weight since I bought it."
Ever since she was at school, Charlotte has struggled with her weight and felt like the 'bigger girl' – ballooning to a size 16-18 in her late teens.
After going to university and spending a lot of time partying, Charlotte piled on the pounds and weighed 18st with a BMI of 40 by her mid-twenties.
As well as bingeing on regular Chinese or fish and chips takeaways, crisps and chocolate bars, Charlotte says her biggest downfall was the size of her portions.
While she would cook seemingly healthy meals like spaghetti bolognese packed with vegetables, Charlotte would use too much cooking oil, eat a double portion and then pile it high with cheese and garlic bread.
Her heavy frame not only started to take its toll on Charlotte's health as she found herself getting breathless and tired easily but also shattered her self-esteem.
Whenever she was going out or on holiday, Charlotte found herself looking for clothes that 'covered her up the most' to hide her plus-size figure.
Charlotte said: "Being so big did really affect my confidence. Going on holiday or going out – even to family events – I was always looking for clothes that covered me up the most.
"It had started to affect my fitness as well. Going up stairs I would get really tired and out of breath.
"I wouldn't say I had a particularly poor diet. I have always eaten a lot of fruit and veg. It was more that I wasn't really paying attention to what I was eating and my portion sizes.
"I would never think twice about eating a whole chocolate bar in the evenings and one of the main things I had to give up was takeaways. We would have at least one or two a week.
"It was mainly about changing my diet for me. I didn't join the gym or anything.
"I decided to follow Slimming World from home because a couple of my friends had done it. I did all the research and just went for it.
"It's really taught me about portion control and to actually think more about what I'm eating and building in all the food groups. It's completely changed my mentality and the way I think about food.
"It helps that you can still have a treat as well if you want as long as you factor it in".
But after deciding enough was enough, Charlotte has managed to make simple changes to her diet and drop 6st 7lbs without any exercise except long walks on her days off work.
Charlotte now faces the challenge of sticking to her healthy eating habits so she can maintain her new svelte figure.
Shedding the excess pounds has had a positive impact on every aspect of Charlotte's life – even making her more confident in her work within the police force.
Construction worker Ricky also loves seeing his wife so happy in herself but is always keen to remind Charlotte that he loves her no matter what.
Now Charlotte wants to share her journey to inspire other people to stop putting aside their weight loss goals and take that first step.
Charlotte said: "Losing weight has had such a positive impact on every aspect on every aspect of my life.
"Ricky loves seeing me with so much self-confidence. He says I come across more confident and more happy.
"He always tells me he didn't even realise I had that much weight to lose because he never saw me as a big person.
"He says he loved me then and he loves me now – my weight doesn't change a thing.
"My colleagues have all said I am more confident at work as well.
"I would really encourage anyone struggling with their weight to just take the plunge and start doing something about it.
"I told myself for years that I needed to lose weight but it's all about taking that first step and finding what works for you."
CHARLOTTE'S DAILY DIET BEFORE:
BREAKFAST: Three pieces of white toast with butter and peanut butter
LUNCH: Two white bread and cheese sandwiches
DINNER: Chinese takeaway, fish and chips, or spaghetti bolognese cooked using oil with lots of cheese and garlic bread
SNACK: A chocolate bar and crisps
CHARLOTTE'S DAILY DIET NOW:
BREAKFAST: Overnight oats with fresh fruit
LUNCH: Homemade soup or salads
DINNER: Cottage pie cooked using cooking spray with lots of vegetables
SNACK: A Freddo
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