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A NURSE who tipped the scales at 20st vowed to lose weight after two men struggled to get her into a wetsuit while on holiday.

Bethan Coles, 28, saw her weight creep up until she was a size 24 as she gorged on three breakfasts a day and an entire block of cheese for dinner.

She recalled one horrific memory while on holiday to Turkey, where she could barely fit into the largest wetsuit they had on the boat.

It took two male instructors to squeeze her into the suit to go scuba diving, battling with the zips.

Bethan, from Llandrindod Wells, Wales, said: "I went on holiday with my friend to Turkey and we went scuba diving.

"I had to have two men zip up the largest wet suit on the boat, and they struggled.”

Bethan says she was always a “big girl”, wearing size 12 clothes when she was 10.

As she got older she was teased over her weight, with trolls telling her she looked like “miss piggy”.

Socialising became hard as Bethan tried to hide her size, but felt left out when compared to what her friends wore.

Bethan said: “My weight made me feel out of place, embarrassed, uncomfortable, self-conscious and very unhappy for many years. I would make fat jokes and aim them at myself before anyone got a chance to.

“I was bullied from the age of 11 when I started secondary school. I was called ‘Miss Piggy’ and ‘fatty’ on a regular basis.

“As I got older and started going out, I was called incredibly horrible things and became very paranoid when I used to go on a night out as I felt that everyone was staring at my size. I just used to ignore it and pretend it didn’t get to me.

“Deep down, it made me feel disgusting, unworthy, paranoid, ugly and self-conscious. I used to try and dress well so I didn’t appear as big as I was, but at the same time I wanted to fit in with my friends and wear what they wore.”

In 2012, the head dental nurse met her future husband, Lee, 33, and the pair bonded over their love of food.

Bethan said: “He was overweight too and we quickly discovered food was a love for us. I loved baking and Lee loved cooking – but most of all, we loved eating.

“We would bake things and have fancy meals most nights, and then we’d buy chocolate, cakes, biscuits and sweets every night of the week. We’d eat ourselves sick.”

The pair’s bad habits saw her weight spiral from 16st to 20st 7lbs, as she gorged on treats she’d bake for them.

Bethan said: “Breakfast was a large bowl of cereal, if not two bowls, and jam on toast.

“Lunch would be creamy pasta or pasta with a whole jar of pesto, covered in cheese with a full fat yogurt and something I’d baked.

“Dinner was a whole block of cheese with chicken and a whole baguette, or ravioli and creamy sauce.

“I baked a few different things on the weekends, and we would eat all of it by Sunday night.

“By the start of 2014, I was over 20 stone in weight. I was in a comfortable relationship, so it bothered me but not enough to do anything about it."

Bethan’s daily meals

Pre-diet

• Breakfast: Two large bowls of cereal and jam on toast
• Lunch: Creamy pasta covered in cheese or chicken and garlic bread with a whole block of cheese
• Dessert: Full-fat yoghurt and baked goods
• Snacks:  Chocolate, cakes, biscuits and sweets

Post-diet

• Breakfast: Apple and plum overnight oats
• Lunch: Soup or salad
• Dinner: Risotto or vegetable stir-fry
• Snacks: Fruit and yoghurt

Bethan had tried diets in the past, but ended up putting the weight she lost back on after her willpower crumbled.

She said: “Becoming so miserable and getting to a size 24 made me want to lose weight. I had shin splints and lower back pain which meant I was off work a few times.

“We calorie counted, weighed weekly and ate healthily, so over 2015 I lost three stone, but we went on holiday in September 2016, and we couldn’t get back in the zone after.”

She joined slimming world in 2017 determined to shift the weight for good, and soon after got engaged.

Bethan says it gave her the focus and determination she needed to lose weight for her wedding.

She said: “I bought a dress in July 2018 and slimmed myself down into it by May 2019. It was hard work, but I did it.”

The pair overhauled their diets, eating oats, eggs, lean chicken and vegetables instead of baked goods and cheese.

She lost 6st in less than two years, shedding 8st in total to weigh 12st 9lbs and wears a trim size 12.

Gushing over her wedding pictures, Bethan said: “We got married on May 25, 2019 and I felt absolutely incredible. I had so many compliments.

“I just felt beautiful, slim and gorgeous. To feel that about yourself is such a wonderful feeling. I can happily look back at my wedding photos and feel proud of what I achieved.

“I feel much healthier, and I almost can’t remember being or feeling overweight anymore.

"To be able to go into a shop and pick up a size 12 is amazing. I never thought that would happen.”

She praised Lee for always supporting her and never judging her, adding: “I thought I was destined to be the ‘big girl’ forever. You must learn to love yourself, something I am still very much working on.

“Losing weight is hard, but the benefits greatly outweigh the hard times you may have on the journey.”

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