A singer who was told she was too fat to make a music video has told of how her ordeal provided the motivation she needed to lose weight.

Poppy Hughes, 22, from Liverpool, tipped the scales at 14 stone 8 lbs at her heaviest, but she has since lost five stone and three dress sizes.

The professional singer, who also works as a paediatric nurse, said she had always been able to eat what she wanted as a child - but this 'carefree' approach to portion control came back to haunt her when she hit her teens.



It wasn't uncommon for her to polish off multiple packets of biscuits in one sitting and before long, she was unable to keep the weight off.

'I would eat one biscuit or sweet and had the mindset of 'Well I've already ruined my diet now, I may as well carry on and eat the rest' Poppy explained.

'I would then go on to eat absolute rubbish for the rest of the day.'

Poppy now describes herself back then as a 'diet-starts-on-Monday' kind of girl; if she treated herself on a Friday, she would continue eating 'rubbish' until Sunday night.



But while Poppy doesn't believe her weight has held her back in life, one incident is permanently etched into her memory.

'I always remember being asked to record a song,' she recalled. 'The producer said to me that if it was going to go to video, I needed to lose weight.'

His words struck a nerve with Poppy: 'I obviously wasn't happy with the way I looked – I used to cry in the mirror every day and cry to my mum.

'But it didn't matter how many people told me I needed to lose weight, until it clicked with me.'

As she had always allowed herself to eat whatever she wanted, Poppy struggled with portion sizes - and admits to having a 'weakness' for bread.

It wasn't uncommon for her to get through two slices of breakfast, a sandwich, crisps and chocolate for lunch, and then head to her local fish and chip shop for dinner - happily snacking in between meals.

By the summer of 2015, Poppy weighed 14 stone 8 lbs and was a size 16. Eventually realising enough was enough, she tentatively joined her local gym, Xercise4Less.

Poppy managed to convince her best friend to join the gym with her soon after, and the pair found it easier to motivate each other and work out together.

'Instead of us going for tea or staying in and watch films and eating, we now spend most of our time together in the gym,' Poppy said. 'I have a lot to thank her for.'

Nowadays, the 22-year-old's diet is healthier than ever - cutting out the unhealthy sugary snacks in favour of natural yoghurt and fruit and rice cakes. She does allow herself one 'cheat day' a week, however, when she can eat what she wants.

Poppy now weighs 9 stone 8 lbs and is a size 10, having lost a total of five stone since February.

'My next goal is to tone up and become happy in my own skin because this is something I still struggle with, probably from being so unhappy with the way I looked for so long,' Poppy admitted.

'It's difficult to see what everyone else sees. But that is coming with time.'

Source: Daily Mail