A mum-of-four has revealed how she lost more than six stone after the thought of her finding a suitable wedding dress made her feel sick.

Toni Calland, 35, from Liverpool, was left deflated after her wedding plans were overshadowed by her weight gain. Toni, who weighed more than 19 stone at her biggest, said she feared visiting bridal shops and had no choice but to order a dress online. Now, she is ready to showcase her new figure at the alter after ditching 6stone 7lbs with Slimming World.

The mum, who joined the Old Swan Slimming World group in 2022, is preparing to renew her vows following her incredible transformation. Toni, who lives with her husband Mark and her four children Nicole, 16, Lewis, 14 Jacob, 11 and Jordan, 5, says: “When Mark asked me to marry him I was over the moon, but the thought of finding a wedding dress to fit me and being the centre of attention on the day made me feel ill.

“I didn’t want to go to any bridal shops as I worried there would be nothing in my size. In the end, I ordered my dress online. While it did the job, I never really loved it the way I should have done. I felt uncomfortable and when I look back at the photos from our special day, I didn’t like how I looked at all.”

The stay-at-home-mum gained weight with each of her pregnancies. She says: “My weight was starting to affect my health drastically. I suffered with a bad back and had to have MRI and CT scans to find out the cause of the problems. When the doctor told me it was down to my weight, I struggled to accept it. My mental health was also affected. I would avoid any sort of social situation and never took my children to parties like the other mums, I would stay at home feeling embarrassed and ashamed.”

Toni said she had attempted to lose weight before but always felt like she was fighting a losing battle. She says: “I tried weight loss tablets from my GP and even saw a private doctor who prescribed multiple tablets for me to try. While they’d all work for a while it was only ever short term, and I would soon be back to my old ways – snacking on sugary foods in the evening and finishing the kids’ leftovers after our meals.

“The turning point for me came when my son made a comment about me being a ‘fat mummy’. I always worried about people commenting on my size – that’s a lot of the reason why I tried to hide myself in over-sized black clothes and avoid social situations. For my own child to notice was a moment of clarity for me. I knew, for the sake of my children, I wanted to be a heathy role model and an active mum.”

Toni’s friend was a Slimming World Consultant, so she decided to go along to her local group. She says: “I was nervous at the thought of joining a group. I worried about a stranger seeing my weight, but I have to say it was by far the best decision of my life. I’ve learnt to make small changes that make a big difference like swapping to low-calorie spray rather than oil and switching white bread for wholemeal. My group and Consultant Clare were so supportive too – they’re always there with advice if I’ve had a bit of a setback.

“I don’t worry if I have a gain every now and again because it happens to us all. I found hearing about the success of other members really motivating and loved reading stories in Slimming World Magazine or on the Slimming World app.” With Slimming World’s eating plan, members can enjoy a wide range of healthy everyday foods such as lean meat and poultry, fat-free dairy, pasta, rice and grains, and fruit and veg, to satisfy their appetite.

This freedom and variety means that slimmers can reduce their calorie intake without counting calories, lose weight without being hungry, and personalise the plan to their dietary requirements and way they like eating. Toni continues: “After such a long time of thinking I had to massively restrict myself, I couldn’t believe that I’d be able to lose weight by eating normal, everyday food. I always craved unhealthy snacks and sugary treats in the evening. I soon found though that filling up on healthy meals throughout the day kept the cravings at bay.”

“Being part of the group helped me to understand my own relationship with food more deeply, which is what has enabled me to take control and change my mindset around food and drink – and even start to exercise.” After a few months, Toni found that losing weight steadily and eating healthily caused her energy levels to increase. She says that hearing about Slimming World’s physical activity support programme in her group encouraged her to think about how she could build exercise into her life.

Toni continues: “I love walking and being out and about in nature and I’m now a member at the gym as well. Being able to do the things I do now is just a dream come true for me.” Toni’s new-found confidence is a far cry from how she felt on her wedding day. She says: “So much has changed since losing weight, my outlook on life, the quality time I spend with my children, my health and my confidence. When I look back on the photographs from my wedding my only wish is that I felt the way I do now. Mark and I have been talking about renewing our wedding vows one day. I’d be so excited to get to experience it all over again feeling amazing this time.”

On a recent visit to Derbyshire Toni called in to Stately Brides bridal shop where she finally got the experience she’d always dreamed of. Toni says “I met Leanne from Stately Brides and we picked out dresses I could’ve only dreamed of wearing before, dresses off the rails that fit perfectly and which I felt incredible in. I felt like a princess! I’m the best version of myself for me and for my family too. I’m living my best life and that’s an incredible feeling.”