A girl who weighed nearly 16 stone was inspired to drop extra pounds after receiving a cruel comment from a stranger on Tinder.
Alexandra Ulverich, 32, from Southampton, was once a size 16-18 weighing 15st 9lbs – but has since lost a powerful 6st 5lbs.
She said she would ‘comfort eat’, gorging on two takeaways per week and ‘share-size’ bars of chocolate.
But lower than two years on, she now weighs 9st 4lbs and pole dances.
Alexandra began her weight reduction journey after a shocking remark made by a person on dating website Tinder after she politely rejected him.
Alexandra Ulverich, 32, lost almost a 3rd of her body weight after receiving a cruel comment from a person on Tinder (pictured as a size 6 after weight reduction)
The law graduate from Southampton said she would ‘comfort eat’, gorging on two takeaways per week and ‘share-size’ bars of chocolate (pictured as a size 16-18 before her weight reduction)
He shamelessly told her: ‘A girl as big you need to be lucky that somebody is showing interest’.
The international business law graduate said: ‘I’d all the time been slim, but really began to put weight on during my twenties.
‘I used to be miserable, and when and man on a dating website commented about my weight, I knew I needed to do something about it.
‘Now, I’m so far more confident.’
During her teens, Alexandra, who’s 5ft 4in, weighed 9st 8lbs and wore size 8-10 clothing.
But she struggled with anxiety and emetophobia – a fear of vomiting or witnessing other people being sick.
At 24, she began comfort eating after her anxiety became ‘so bad that she couldn’t leave the home’ and said antidepressants prescribed by the doctor didn’t help.
Alexandra would gorge on two burger or pizza takeaways per week, share-size bars of chocolate – while even cooking from home meant huge portions of pasta and rice.
Alexandra was a size 16-18, weighing 15st 9lbs (left) – but has lost a powerful 6st 5lbs in lower than two years (right)
As a result, she gained 5st 7lbs, and by the time she was 30, she weighed 15st 9lbs and wore size 16-18 clothes.
Alexandra, now a dress size 6-8, commented: ‘I hated my body. I could not bear clothes shopping because nothing would fit me, and once I did find something, it’d just look frumpy.
‘I not recognised myself.’
Alexandra tried various diets, but found that she could never shift the kilos.
She explains: ‘I assumed to drop extra pounds, I’d should eat nothing.
‘I used to be too restrictive and ended up craving unhealthy food much more. I had no idea about nutrition.’
After receiving the comment from a stranger on Tinder, she said:Â ‘I knew I used to be obese, but hearing it from another person was upsetting.
‘I stepped on the scales and once I saw that I used to be 15st 9lbs, I could not consider my eyes.
She said she ‘hated’ her body before she lost weight and believed she looked ‘frumpy’ in clothes
Alexandra began meal planning and controlling her portions, and took on pole dancing and exercising with kettlebells
‘Enough was enough. I needed to make a change for myself. I used to be fed up with being unhappy.’
In May 2022, Alexandra began walking 10,000 steps day-after-day and restricted herself to 2000 calories.
After a few months, she reduced this to 1600 calories.
She meal-planned and made sure her portions were controlled, but ultimately ate what she wanted – never skipping dessert.
For dinner, Alexandra would often have homemade burgers and incorporated plenty of protein and vegetables into her food plan.
Within a 12 months, Alexandra lost 5st and in May 2023, she began pole dancing and exercised with kettlebells at home 5 or 6 times every week.
Alexandra had previously tried diets and will never shift the load, but made more changes after a cruel comment on Tinder (pictured before)
She began walking 10,000 steps day-after-day and restricted herself to 2000 calories, which she later reduced to 1,600 (pictured after)
Alexandra says: ‘I used to be still scuffling with my anxiety, but exercising really boosted my mood.
‘I began to feel a lot fitter and figuring out became easier.’
Now, lower than two years on, Alexandra weighs 9st 4lbs and is a size 6-8.
She added: ‘It took a while to see results, but once I did, it felt amazing. I now get plenty of compliments from people, telling me how good I look.
‘I like shopping because I do know I can dress nevertheless I like. When I look within the mirror, I feel comfortable.
