Mum took advantage of Covid’s wedding delay to shed a whopping 11 stone – and had to buy a whole new dress

In a way, Melissa Williams was grateful for the pandemic, as it allowed her to get married without hating her looks — even if she needed a new wedding dress after shifting nearly half her body weight

A determined woman refused to sulk when her wedding had to be postponed due to Covid and used the extra time to shed more than 11 stone ahead of her new big day.

Melissa Williams, from Bridgend, South Wales, was heartbroken as the pandemic dashed her plans to marry her fiance Chris in the summer of 2020.

But she was soon inspired by the lockdown delay to lose weight straight when she finally tied the knot, Wales Online Report.

The mother was 25. 4lbs and a size 30 when she was due to be tied almost two years ago, but when she walked down the aisle in April, the 27-year-old was nearly half her height.

It wasn’t all good news though – she was doing so well that she had to buy a brand new wedding dress after buying one that fit her perfectly when Covid arrived.

Melissa says she was so grateful for the pandemic delaying her wedding because it meant she didn’t have to spend her special day hating her looks.

She said: “I was tall for as long as I could remember. I was a secret eater and a binge eater.

“And I also had Chinese and Indian takeaways about four times a week. The weight crept up on me and suddenly I was 25. 4 pounds and wearing a size 30-32.

“I was unhappy. I didn’t leave the house and cut myself off from everyone around me. I was supposed to get married in 2020 but of course it was postponed because of the coronavirus.

“I was afraid of it. I hated the dress I bought, but I bought it only because I knew no dress would look good on me. I hated the way I looked so I was actually glad it was postponed because I felt great by the end!”

In a desperate attempt to get her life back, Melissa underwent weight-loss surgery last August. Her parents, Lynne, 67, and Tony James, 58, were so concerned about the dark place she was in that they offered to pay £11,250 for her gastric bypass.

Melissa, a stay-at-home mum, said: “I had completely lost myself. My parents were so worried about me and just wanted me to be better.

“I was humbled by my looks. I had taken my son Charlie, six, to Thomas Land at Drayton Manor and had a ride with him. The bar would not go down and I was asked to get off the ride. I’ve never felt so embarrassed as I do at that moment.

“I felt so bad for Charlie too. I couldn’t even take him for a walk or run around the fields with him because of my size. I could barely walk to the end of the street. I was on blood pressure meds and my back hurt so much. My health was declining and I knew I had to change something.”

After years of eating and eating out, Melissa had a gastric bypass, which meant she would lose weight in time for her new wedding anniversary.

Since the surgery she has lost an impressive 11.2 pounds which meant she had to buy a new wedding dress.

Melissa said: “I’m so happy that our wedding was postponed because I felt amazing on the day. I was dreading my wedding before because I had to get ready and put on a dress even though I felt terrible.

“It was just normal wedding nerves because I was so unhappy with the way I looked. My new dress was a size 16 and I was so happy looking at myself in the mirror with it.

“I felt amazing and I had the best day not having to worry about my weight. We also just got back from our honeymoon in Gran Canaria where I even wore a bikini for the first time in my life.

“Normally I would have been a sweatball and hated the heat. I didn’t have to cover myself and could wear whatever I wanted. I don’t have to wear clothes that I hated because they were the only thing that fit me. I felt wonderful.

“As the weight went off, it was so surreal to notice all the changes that were happening to my body. I feel better than ever and I’m so much healthier.

“I can run for miles, I go to the gym and I’m so much more confident. I now love to go out with my friends and dress up. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made and I had the best wedding day that day I could have ever dreamed of.”