A woman who shed half her body weight has been rewarded with a sparkling ring by her husband – complete with a DIAMOND for each of the nine stones she lost.
Bev Wright, 53, ballooned to more than 20 stone after bingeing on comfort food including biscuits and takeaways.
At her heaviest Bev weighed an astonishing 20st 4lb and rarely left the comfort of her own home.
But in 2011 she decided to take action after seeing a picture of herself at her work Christmas party.
She changed her diet and started going to the gym three times a week and within two years managed to get down to a healthy 11st 4lb – hitting her nine stone loss target.
But Bev didn’t realise husband Gary, 54. a London underground technician, had secretly been saving to treat his wife when she reached her goal.
In the days before she hit her target he went to the jewellers to buy a special diamond ring – with a shining rock for each stone she lost.
Mum-of-two Bev, from Chatham, Kent, yesterday (Tues) said: “I have been overweight all my life. I used to binge on chocolate and biscuits. The usual suspects really.
“I always struggled with my weight and used to lose two stone then put it back on. I saw a photo of me at a Christmas party and that made me realise how much I had put on.
“I had gone 50 and was still overweight so thought I needed to change. The ring will always be a reminder and I never want to put this weight back on again.
“I’ve got so much more energy. I go to the gym three times a week and I walk everywhere.”
Bev’s weight spiralled out of control when her two-year-old son Christopher was diagnosed with cancer in 1991.
The anxiety and stress of coping with his sickness and the nights sat by his bedside in Great Ormond Street Hospital meant the teaching assistant never had a balanced diet.
And when Christopher tragically passed away in August, 1992, at the age of two, Bev found it difficult to find the motivation to lose the pounds.
She said: ”I have been overweight all my life but when Christopher was diagnosed with cancer it certainly didn’t help.
“It was the stress of thinking of him up in Great Ormond Street at a time that I was pregnant with my second child.”
Bev, a teaching assistant, enlisted the help of son Simon, 21, and daughter Angie, 19, to beat her weight problems and also joined Slimming World.
She added: “The kids have noticed, particularly some of the children where I might have taught their siblings before.
“There are still photos of me on our board at school and they all say ‘I can’t believe that’s you’.
“Gary has always supported me. I don’t think he really thought I was going to stick to it but he never mentioned anything.
“I just think it’s because I can eat normal food. We have roast dinners, lasagne – I eat with the family.”
