TOO FAT FOR HUGS BUT NOW I'VE LOST 9 STONE

Aged 27, I was swept off my feet by my gorgeous husband, Lee, now 42. I was 13st and loved my curvy figure. Lee was the perfect gentleman, and we quickly fell in love. We enjoyed nights out at fancy restaurants and cosy evenings in feasting on takeaways. But our romantic nights took its toll on my weight, and I gained four stone in as many years. Lee told me he'd love me at any size, so I wasn't too worried. However, my weight spiralled out of control after falling pregnant in 2003 with my son, Oliver. Three years later, I weighed a whopping 20st. ‘Does my bum look big in this?’ I asked Lee, as I stuffed myself into a pair of size-24 jeans.

Other great stories
HITCHHIKING BIRDS

LINED up one by one on a deer’s back, these little birds give their wings a break as they catch a ride across London .

MOON ART

From shooting hoops to performing kick ups, a boy has a ball with the moon .

IN FLIGHT MEAL

This is the amazing moment two white-tailed kites take an in-flight meal - exchanging prey at 100 foot high in mid air .

ADORABLE PENGUINS HATCH AT UK ZOO

HOPPING onto the scales, these adorable baby Humboldt penguins are ready for their first weigh-in .

WELSH HOTEL ONCE HOME TO WWI SOLDIERS NOW LIES ABANDONED

A grand 56-bedroom hotel, once heaving with injured soldiers during the First World War, now lies completely abandoned .

WINKING SQUIRREL

BASKING in smug satisfaction, a confident squirrel gives a wink to the camera .

ABANDONED TEXTILE MILL

HUNDREDS of colour coordinated yarns lie abandoned in this once thriving textile mill .

BATHING BEAR CUB

A carefree bear cub reclines in the water with his feet raised in the air .

STUNNING ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE

LOCATIONS bursting with vibrant greens and chestnut browns, these photographs capture the peaceful English countryside in all its glory .

HYPNOTIST JAILED FOR SEX ABUSE

A hypnotherapist filmed himself sexually abusing a 19-year-old patient while she was in a trance-like state .

STUNNING WINTER PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE HIGHEST RAILWAY IN THE ALPS

ROLLING across a 65-metre-high viaduct in the Alps, the red carriages of the Bernina Express add a splash of colour to the spectacular snow-covered Swiss surroundings .

MOODY SEA TURTLE

PUSHING the diver out of his way, this little sea turtle shows he’s not in the mood for photographs .