A woman has beat the bulge by HULA HOOPING - after worrying her friends would think she was pregnant due to her ballooning weight.
Philippa McCleod, 30, decided to lose weight after tipping the scales at 12st 4lbs and feeling uncomfortable around her mates on nights out.
She was struggling to fit into size 14 clothes and has now slimmed down to an incredible 8st 6.5lbs and wears size six clothes.
She has swapped pizza and biscuits for fruit and home cooked meals and hula hooped her way to a 23 inch waist.
Philippa, an account manager, from Leigh, Greater Manchester, said: “I remember I had bought a new black dress to go out with friends and I wasn't drinking so I was worried they would think I was pregnant.
“They didn’t say anything but I just felt so uncomfortable thinking they would mistake my weight gain for being pregnant.
“I knew I had to make a change.
“I now feel amazing and so confident in myself.”
Philippa joined Slimming World in June 2017 and completely changed her diet and lifestyle to shed 3st 12lbs.
“I was ashamed at the clothes I was buying when I was big so that was another factor for me to lose the weight," she said.
Philippa swapped big pizzas for healthy pizza wraps and snacked on fruit rather than crisps and chocolate.
She also made healthy treats so she didn't miss out - such as oat donuts and french toast.
“It took quite a while for the weight to fall off but I kept motivated," she said.
In a year Philippa had lost 2st 9lbs and started to exercise more to maintain her weight.
“I now walk everywhere," she said.
“I use my hour lunch break at work to go for a walk and always try to walk to a friend rather than jumping in the car.”
Philippa also found a love for hula hooping after seeing it on Instagram.
“It’s great I just hula hoop while watching TV," she said.
“I love it. It’s fun and great for the core.”
Philippa has now reached 8st 6.5lbs and is a slim size six.
She felt "confident" in a tight fitting wedding dress when she tied the knot with husband, Callum, 31, an operations manager in August 2023.
Phillipa said: "I worked so hard to keep the weight off I didn't want to cover it on an A- line dress.
"I felt really confident. I loved my dress.
“I’m the happiest I have ever been.
“I've maintained the weight so I just have to keep going.”
You can follow Philippa's journey which helps others trying to lose weight - @swjourneyphilippa.
Weight before: 12st 4lbs
Weight after: 8st 6.5lbs
Size before: 14
After: 6
DIET BEFORE
Breakfast: Bowl of cereal
Lunch: pastries
Dinner: big pizza or a takeaway
Snacks: cup a soup, crisps
DIET AFTER
Breakfast: Porridge, with fruit
Lunch: Leftover healthy curry
Dinner: Pizza wrap
Snacks: Fruit
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