wedding health kick because the bride didn't want to 'waddle down the aisle

A couple who weighed a combined 37 stone went on a massive pre-wedding health kick that saw them lose a combined 11 stone.

Laura and Chris Wheal, both 29, from Royston, Hertfordshire, swapped fatty foods, huge helpings and carbohydrates for fruit and vegetables and reduced their portion sizes.

They ended up looking so slim for their big day last September that shocked guests confessed they were left unrecognisable.

Laura and Chris Wheal both enjoyed big helpings, 'chips and dips' and snacking when they met in 2010

couple pledged to slim when they booked their wedding for September 2014 and lost 11st between them

The couple first met on internet dating site Plenty of Fish on May, 2010.

At the time midwife Laura was working as a nanny on a cruise ship and weighed 16.9 stone and was a dress size 20, having piled on the pounds gorging on cheap and easy snacks.

She said the 'upstairs downstairs' culture on board the ship meant every time she was on shore leave she would race to supermarkets and panic-buy long-life food.

'So I ended up gorging on things below deck which were not great for you. I also picked at the kids' food.

'There was not much opportunity to stock up, so the vegetables available were given to guests.

Slimmed-down Laura and Chris Wheal walk down the aisle

had to have her dress resized three times before her dream day in a country house hotel in Essex

'Our veg, well it could be going off, so I didn't eat it. I was nibbling on things and loved chocolate. I couldn't stop eating it.'

Meanwhile Chris weighed 20 stone with a 40-inch waist.

His weight shot up during a job at McDonald's during his A-level exams when he took full advantage of his free meal allowance.

I loved Big Macs and fries. But I also had no idea about cooking. I would cook everything in oil and have huge, huge portions

Chris Wheal He said: 'I loved Big Macs and fries. But I also had no idea about cooking. I would cook everything in oil and have huge, huge portions.

'It meant I piled on the weight.'

Describing his typical day, Chris said: 'I wouldn't eat breakfast. I realise now that was a bad idea, as I would end up snacking mid-morning with my coffee, and eating a larger lunch than I needed.

'For lunch I would have a large bag of crisps, a triple-packed sandwich or baguette, usually covered in cheese, and a bottle of cola.

'Dinner was varied, as I enjoy cooking, but always made too much and ended up eating it rather than saving some for the following day.

'Dishes included shepherd's pie with lots of potato and cheese, curries with mountains of rice, or toad-in-the-hole with thick batter. And when cooking roast dinners, I would roast everything in a layer of oil.'

Neither Laura nor Chris were keen on exercise – Laura said the only thing she did to keep fit was climb 19 flights of stairs twice a month as part of the ship's security drill.

But in May 2010 they separately decided they wanted to date, so both signed up for Plenty of Fish.

couple cut back on their portion sizes, filled up on fruit and increased their activity levels

the pair met on an internet dating site, they admit they had unhealthy eating habits

Laura said: 'I noticed Chris's picture and thought he looked nice. I didn't think much about his weight.

'At the time I was living on the ship, so didn't have much internet connection. We were only able to talk online occasionally.

'He seemed really down-to-earth and kind, so I contacted him.'

The pair spent months chatting online, unable to meet because Laura was in the middle of the ocean.

When they finally met in July 2010 they went on a date to Costa Coffee in Cambridge, where Chris lived at the time.

The couple said they were aware of how much the other weighed, but didn't think much of it.

In fact, one of their favourite things to do was to go for big meals where they scoffed calorie-laden feasts.

said some guests at their wedding who hadn't seen them for a while said they were unrecognisable

couple were a combined weight of 37 stone before they slowly and gradually shed the pounds

Chris said: 'We loved going to Italian restaurants and eating carby pasta dishes topped with cheese and going to the cinema where we'd buy huge bags of popcorn and other fatty snacks.

'I loved big bags of crisps too. I just ate loads.'

On Laura's 26th birthday in March 2011, Chris treated her to a surprise trip to London where they went to see the stage show of The Lion King.

Afterwards they went to a steak restaurant.

Laura said: 'Chris ordered pudding even though I wasn't hungry. I think he was surprised because I love sweet things.

'When the plate arrived he'd written on it in chocolate, "Will you marry me?"

We looked so different relatives we hadn't seen for a while confessed they wouldn't have recognised us if it was not for the fact we were the bride and groom'I said "yes" straight away. I was really excited and told everyone I was getting married. But I realised I didn't want to be a chubby bride.

'I didn't want to waddle down the aisle!'

So Laura decided to go to Weight Watchers in Royston – and Chris announced he was coming too.

Speaking of her first weigh-in, she said: 'When I stepped on the scales I couldn't believe I weighed nearly 17 stone.

'I knew I had to lose weight. I didn't want to be a fat bride.'

Chris also wanted to shed the pounds, and was embarrassed he was so heavy at 19 and a half stone.

He said: 'I was the only man at the session but I didn't let that hold me back.'

The couple learnt they had not only been eating the wrong things they had also been cooking them the wrong way.

'Over the next few weeks we cut back drastically and stopped cooking everything in oil,' Chris said.

Laura added: 'I cut out chocolate, which I love, entirely.'

'My mum knew I wanted to lose weight but we didn't tell anyone we were going to lose it for the wedding.

admits he piled on the pounds as a teenager working in McDonald's

'I didn't want to tell everyone we were going to in case we didn't lose weight, though a few people I saw everyday knew we were because I was changing what I ate.'

They set the wedding for September 2014 and in October 2011, Laura went for her first dress fitting.

'Despite being a size 20, I optimistically ordered a size 14. I didn't know if it would fit in time for the wedding, but I wanted to try,' she said. 'I thought it would give me a goal.'

The pair were walking everywhere and within a few months had lost a few stone. They also cut back on their favourite chips and dips while watching a films each night.

Chris continued: 'After only a little while, the small changes we made became part of our daily lives, and have helped to keep us on track.

'If we were hungry we'd fill up on fruit.'

The weight loss continued and in early 2014 Laura went to try on her strapless, lace dress to find that it was too big and had to be resized.

And as she continued to lose weight her dress needed to be taken down two more sizes.

She said: 'I kept having to get it taken in. But the seamstress wasn't annoyed. She was really impressed and asked me how I'd done it.

'We were busy with wedding preparations and some family and friends lived far away so they didn't see us before the wedding.

'I put some statuses on Facebook to show close friends how we were doing with our weight loss.

'We never set out to surprise our guests but some people we didn't see, so it was for them, and we got loads of nice comments, showing everyone we could do it.'

decided to make a change when she realised she was in danger of becoming a 'chubby bride'

On 6 September 2014 they got married in Parklands, a stately home near Saffron Waldon, Essex.

Chris weighed 13.10 stone with a 32-inch waist and Laura weighed 11 stone and wore a size 10 dress.

'I was so proud when I saw Chris,' Laura said. 'I knew how hard he had worked because I had worked just as hard.'

Chris was equally smitten. 'Laura looked beautiful,' he smiled. 'The dress looked wonderful and she looked slim.

'I loved her when she was bigger, but I know how hard she had worked and she looked so sexy.

'We couldn't stop grinning. We looked so different relatives we hadn't seen for a while confessed they wouldn't have recognised us if it was not for the fact we were the bride and groom.

'I couldn't believe it,' Laura admitted.

'We went to Cancun in Mexico for our honeymoon and I wore a size ten bikini. I wouldn't have done that a few years ago.

'It was so fun. I had it all – my brilliant, svelte hubbie and a bikini bod. Now I am eating chocolate again, but in moderation.

'I am so happy I lost weight.'

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