- Claire Coles, from Exeter, Devon, weighed 22st and lived on takeaways
- Waistline grew to 52in and she was a dress size 28
- Weighed 22st and 10lbs at heaviest
- Shamed into dieting after she couldn’t fit aeroplane seat belt around her
- A year-and-a-half later she weighs 11 stone and is a dress size 10
- Now helping others lose weight as a slimming consultant
By
Bianca London
11:19 EST, 16 July 2013
|
11:19 EST, 16 July 2013
A 22st woman shed half her body weight after discovering she was too large to sit in an aeroplane seat.
Claire Coles’ waistline grew to 52in as a result of an unhealthy diet of takeaways, chocolate and crisps.
And the charity worker was horrified when after booking a dream holiday to Egypt with her husband Neil she was unable to get the seat belt to reach around her size 28 body.
The trip that changed her life: Claire weighed
22st and 10lbs at her heaviest – but just a year-and-a-half later she is
a trim 11 stone
Super slimmer: Claire Coles pictured after she dropped 9 dress sizes following an incident where her airline seatbelt wouldn’t fit
The plane’s crew were eventually able to secure tearful Claire into her seat with a special extended harness.
But the humiliation last January left the 36-year-old determined to slash her daily intake of 10,000 calories and turn her life around.
Claire, a charity officer from Exeter, Devon, said: ‘I couldn’t fit into the seat, and after the embarrassment of asking for a seat belt extender, it was still a very tight fit.
‘I was so ashamed as I was overflowing onto the person sat next to me.
Game changer: The humiliation last January of not fitting into her airplane seat left the 36-year-old determined to slash her daily intake of 10,000 calories and turn her life around
Life change: Claire was horrified after booking a dream holiday to Egypt with her husband only to discover she couldn’t get the seatbelt to reach around her size 28 waist. SH embarked on a healthy diet and is now a svelte size 10 (R)
‘It was horrendous, I just wanted the floor to open up and swallow me, I spent the five hours of the flight in tears.
‘It was at that point I thought enough is enough, I need to drastically change my life.
‘I was emotionally eating because I was so unhappy, ironically using food to make me happy.
‘I would secret eat and hide food. I had a very unhealthy relationship with food.’
Claire weighed 22st and 10lb at her heaviest – but just a year-and-a-half later she is a healthy 11 stone.
She used to eat takeaways and McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with sweets, chocolate bars and crisps.
Unhealthy diet: She used to eat takeaways and McDonald’s for breakfast lunch and dinner, along with sweets, chocolate bars and crisps- totalling as much as 10,000 calories a day but now she can fit in her plane seat (R)
But after swapping calorie-laden snacks for salads, fruit and veg, Claire lost 20in from her waist and is now wearing a dress size 10.
Claire is now helping others lose weight as a slimming consultant at Cambridge Weight Plan in Exeter.
She has even encouraged her husband Neil, 35, to shrink his 40in waist to a more athletic 30in.
And her last flight abroad was a totally different experience.
She said: ‘There was so much more room around me, I was so happy – grinning from ear to ear.
‘Not only was I able to get the seat belt around me, there was loads of room to spare.
‘I
remember like it was yesterday just how embarrassed and sad I felt on
the last flight. Makes me proud of what I have achieved and excited
about all the new experiences I will have now I slim and healthy.
‘After transforming my own life, it is so rewarding to be able to help others.’
Helping hand: Claire is now helping others lose weight as a slimming consultant at Cambridge Weight Plan in her hometown
Before and after: The plane’s crew were eventually able to secure tearful Claire into her seat with a special extended harness but the humiliation left her determined to slash her daily intake of 10,000 calories and turn her life around
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Good on her, well done…
Welchy1988
,
Cheshire,
16/7/2013 19:35
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May i just add that it’s nice to hear about a success story for someone who hasn’t gone down the surgery path. Healthy eating + exercise= weight loss. Well done
lexi
,
essex,
16/7/2013 19:34
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Wow! Well done you.
lexi
,
essex,
16/7/2013 19:33
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Well done and good luck with your new career.
Sunworshipper
,
Dumfries and Galloway,
16/7/2013 19:31
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At 5’11 and 9 stone 11 I still feel self conscience in a bikini..she wore one at probably double that weight..that takes some confidence! but fair play to her for losing the weight and becoming more healthy, I can only imagine how mortifying it was not to be able to fit into the aeroplane seat.
Irishscarlett
,
Straide, Ireland,
16/7/2013 19:29
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Well done! That can’t have been easy. You look great x
vickymc
,
Upminster,
16/7/2013 19:27
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Well done! I bet you’ll never go back to the old you.
Rachel
,
uk,
16/7/2013 19:26
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defiantly not a size 10 but she does look a lot better!
happy-cat-owner
,
Earth I think, United Kingdom,
16/7/2013 19:23
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She looks great, a different person – well done.
Betsy
,
London, United Kingdom,
16/7/2013 19:22
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well done Claire – no wonder you are smiling now ! you look great and you did it with healthy eating you must be so proud of yourself
vt77
,
durham, United Kingdom,
16/7/2013 19:20
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