A woman has lost over 100 pounds (approx. 46 kg) after meeting her soulmate and being desperate to find a wedding dress that fit.
Meredith Hutson, 26, from Texas, was left devastated after trying on wedding dresses following her engagement and finding they wouldn’t fit due to her weight.
Weighing 255 pounds (115 kg) at her heaviest, Meredith set to work on losing weight in August 2019 with just over a year to go until her marriage to her now-husband, Steven Hutson, 25. By her wedding day in November 2020, Meredith had lost 47 pounds (21 kg) and fit into her wedding dress, but she didn’t stop there, as she went on to lose another 56 pounds (25 kg) and dropped eight dress sizes.
Meredith, who works as a hairdresser and fitness coach, went from a dress size of 20 to a dress size of 4 in the space of two years.
Meredith said: “My whole life I was overweight and no matter what fad diet I tried, I would lose a little bit and then after a few months I would give up and gain it all back plus extra.
“When I was 24, I was faced with serious health issues and was concerned about my overall health and future ... I was suffering from headaches, rashes, nausea, and doctors could never find a problem besides a thyroid condition.
“One day, I realized my health had reached this low point because of my weight and that’s when I made the decision to start my weight-loss journey.”
She added: “After getting engaged, the wedding motivated me to lose weight because when I was dress shopping, I had trouble fitting in dresses or doing the zip up at several stores. It was really discouraging.
“But by my wedding day, I felt beautiful, and although I wasn’t at my goal weight, I was so proud of what I had accomplished. My husband has supported me so much on this journey, and he’s always encouraged me to stay on track.”
Meredith first started losing weight by joining a gym in August 2019 and changing her eating habits. The fitness fanatic shed over 100 pounds in just two years and is now helping others do the same.
“In a little over two years, I lost all of that weight whilst gaining muscle mass from simply counting my macros and eating in the correct calorie deficit along with weight training six days a week,” Meredith said. "My sizes changed completely; I went from a 3XL to a small in clothes.
“I started posting on social media when I first started losing weight and the support I was getting from others was amazing, so I pushed even harder and shared more to show others that it could be done. I then started giving others advice at that point and then found a true passion in helping others.
“I am still in the process of transforming my body and am still currently in a calorie deficit as of now.
“Although I am way past my goal, my plan is to stay in a deficit for a little bit longer to target certain stubborn areas, and then in a few months I will be doing a small bulk to strictly gain muscle mass.”
