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Woman Loses Nine Stone After 21st Birthday Holiday Embarrassment

Woman Loses Nine Stone After 21st Birthday Holiday Embarrassment

Niamah Haddow was 19 stone when she went to Florida for her 21st birthday and was forced to sit in the larger seats on rides

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

A woman has dropped from a size 22 to a size 10 after the 'embarrassment' of her experiences on a dream holiday for her 21st birthday.

In August 2015, a then-19 stone Niamah Haddow, from Abergavenny, Wales, took a trip to Florida to celebrate her milestone birthday - however a battle to fit a seat-belt on the plane and having to sit in the larger seats on rides brought her weight struggles home.

Niamah Haddow with her now-husband, Michael Sidwell, on the holiday to Florida for her 21st birthday.
Fortitude Press

Niamah, now 24, says this experience combined with her mum's concern for her help kick started her determination to transform her size and well-being.

Through a fresh, well-planned diet and running five kilometres a day - having previously never been to a gym before - she has now dropped an amazing nine stone.

Niamah, a police officer, said: "I was 19 stone and very unhappy. I went to Florida for my 21st birthday, my feet were swollen and I found the holiday very hard, and was in complete denial of my weight.

"I was put on the larger seat in one of the rides, and the seat belt wouldn't fit around me in the plane. As a 21 year old girl this was embarrassing.

Niamah Haddow on her 21st birthday which was the trigger for her weight loss.
Fortitude Press

"I was in a lot of denial due to my weight. My feet were swollen, I was paranoid and my relationship with my partner struggled so much because I was so paranoid about how I looked.

"When I came back from holiday my mum was visiting from Australia. She hadn't seen me in over a year and when she saw me she was scared for my health. At the end of August 2015 I started my journey."

Niamah joined Slimming World and tailored her diet according to their plan, attending her local Slimming World group once a week.

Niamah Haddow and her husband Michael after losing nine stone.
Fortitude Press

She said: "When I was in uni, literally drank and ate pasta, sometimes I just couldn't be bothered to cook so would eat a packet of biscuits! Now everything I make is fresh, my diet is so organised and planned.

"Slimming World saved and changed my life. I have lost nine stone and I am now 10 stone. My BMI went from 43 to 23.7 - this is the first time in my life to have a healthy BMI.

"There isn't a part of my life losing weight hasn't changed. I'm a police officer I would never have been fit enough to embark on a year of mental and physical training you have to go through to do that."

Niamah, who now lives in Adelaide, Australia, says friends and family can't believe her transformation when they see her.

She is still an online member of Slimming World but hopes to see the weight loss plan progress to Australia and become a consultant there one day.

She continued: "People find it strange, I was always overweight, I'm the smallest I've ever been. I love fashion and it's amazing to actually wear the clothes I want to wear. People love it. They see how happy I am.

Niamah on her wedding day after losing nine stone.
Fortitude Press

"People here in Australia had no idea what I was like before, whereas people in Britain only know what I was like before.

People in Britain can never believe it when they see me and people in Australia always say that I'm so small they can never imagine me bigger."

You can follow Niamah's weight loss journey on Instagram @slimmerdownunder.

Featured Image Credit: Fortitude Press

Topics: Weight Loss, Weight, Inspirational, Community