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In July 2015, 24-year-old Haley Smith couldn’t have been more excited to become engaged to her boyfriend, Matt Smith.
But when she looked back at photos on one of the happiest days of her life, she “cried her eyes out.”
She could barely recognize herself because of her size and absolutely refused to share the photos online because she was too ashamed of herself. In college, because she’d had an unlimited meal plan and enjoyed using food as an emotional coping mechanism, Smith inadvertently allowed her eating problem get out of control.
Smith admitted, “I missed out on so many things because of [my weight]. I avoided the pool or beach like my life depended on it, and I missed several family activities like bike rides or hiking trips because I actually couldn't do them.
“In turn, this hurt me socially because you can only turn your friends down so many times before they stop including you in plans.”
It was only when Smith realized how far she’d let herself go – At the time of her engagement, she weighed 227 pounds. – that she decided to make dramatic changes to her life.
Over the course of the next year, she would lose weight for her wedding and find a dress that made her feel beautiful, not a dress that she was simply “settled for.”
Smith began by going on runs three times a week and swapped out all the junk food in her diet for fruits and vegetables. Over time, she worked up her running distance to 5K and now works out at least two hours each day.
This past weekend, at Smith’s wedding, she was over 100 pounds lighter. She looked and felt “beautiful” in her dress. “My dress exceeded all my expectations. I never thought I would look as good as I did. I expected and hoped just to look ‘normal,’ but I felt beautiful - like a real bride should.”
The icing on the cake for Smith? Her upcoming honeymoon in New Zealand with husband.
“A year ago, I wouldn't have been able to hike on a glacier, go mountain climbing, feel confident snorkeling and many of the other activities we have planned,” she gushed. “It's going to be a trip of a lifetime.”
