As I stood in front of the mirror in my ivory silk wedding gown, I reached around to pull up the zip. It ran smoothly into place and I couldn’t help smiling at my reflection. I was slim, happy and about to meet my beloved husband.

But I was no shy young bride about to walk down the aisle to begin a new life. In fact, at 56, I’ve been married to Tim, 57, since 1999. Earlier this year, we celebrated our 27th anniversary and I wanted to surprise him by slipping into the very same dress I wore on our wedding day.

For decades, that would have been impossible. Although at 30 I was a trim size 10 for my wedding, I had always battled with ‘food noise’ in my head. I’d eat three big meals a day, and I couldn’t get through my day at work as a civil servant without a pack of biscuits on my desk. I enjoyed cooking, so Tim and I would have big, home-cooked dinners of spag bol or meat pies, then I’d settle down to watch TV with a sharing bag of Maltesers or chocolate buttons – except I didn’t share them!

Unsurprisingly, after having two children, Jack, now 24, and Emma, 21, and going through perimenopause, throughout my 40s and 50s I piled on the pounds. At just 5ft2in, I weighed 13st 13lb, and was a size 18. I hated being so overweight but I just couldn’t find the willpower to halt my relentless snacking.

Rather than tackling the problem that was making me unhappy I just kept buying bigger clothes and burying my head in the sand. I’d think: ‘I’m in my 50s, it’s not going to get any better.’ I was genuinely worried that I’d no longer be able to shop on the high street if I got any bigger. Tim has never said anything negative to me about my size, but he knew I wasn’t happy.

The crunch came in August 2024, when I opened the post to find an invitation for my lovely nephew Henry’s wedding the following June – in New York! It was such an exciting prospect, I truly wanted to look my best and, that morning, I finally set myself a firm goal: lose four stone by the wedding and appear in the family photos as a proud auntie, rather than hiding at the back, afraid I’d ruin them.

Having a deadline was a huge help. That week, I was chatting with a colleague about my planned weight loss and she mentioned she was using a programme called Slimpod where, instead of counting calories or banning foods, she listened to a seven-minute audio-pod every day, with messaging that intended to rewire emotions and habits around food. I was sceptical that a method without calorie-counting could work but she’d lost weight and insisted it was ‘effortless’.

Of course, it sounded too good to be true, but I thought I had nothing to lose and downloaded a free trial, listening to it as I drifted off to sleep.

Della Holmes weighed 13st 13lb, and was a size 18

After listening to Slimpod's seven-minute audio pods every day, Della got her weight down to 9st 13lb

Della was able to fit into her original wedding dress from 1999 to celebrate her 27th anniversary with husband Tim

I woke up feeling much more positive and energetic than usual. Thinking it must be a fluke, I headed to the food cupboard for my usual breakfast of several thick slices of toast with butter and jam. To my surprise, I found I only wanted one slice, with savoury Marmite, not sugary jam. From that day onward, the food noise was silenced. To my amazement, I found myself craving entirely different foods. Rather than chocolate, I craved avocado and broccoli. It was an instant psychological shift that I hadn’t expected.

I bought into the programme fully and, very quickly, my daily menu transformed from massive portions of spaghetti bolognese and fatty supermarket meal deals to sourdough toast with poached eggs. For lunch and dinner I’d enjoy foods like hummus, salmon and sweet potatoes – all with that crucial broccoli. It was as though I’d had invisible Mounjaro – the thought of a big plate of food just wasn’t desirable any more.

Two weeks into the programme it was my birthday and, not knowing I was on a diet, my sister bought me a goodie bag of chocolates and biscuits. Once, they’d have been gone within hours. Instead, they sat in my lounge untouched for months.

I listened to a nine-minute pod every day, and watched a short video, designed to target my neural pathways and break the links between overeating and enjoyment.

I didn’t feel hungry as I could still eat well, I just made better choices.

I know it won’t work for everyone, as the company says themselves. I think I am very open to the power of suggestion and positive thinking and that’s why I responded so well to it, much as some people do to hypnosis. Some people who don’t respond so well might not like the fact that there’s no calorie-counting or focus on macros, no weigh-ins or rewards, and it relies purely on the idea that you’ll want to eat less and more healthily due to the power of suggestion, as it works by addressing the underlying patterns that influence eating behaviour rather than focusing only on food itself.

By Christmas 2024, I was 11st 11lb and a size 14-16. But I felt a bit guilty when friends congratulated me on my ‘willpower’ – it wasn’t hard, because I no longer had the constant food noise and urge to nibble. Tim, who works for England Rugby, was amazed by the change in me. My friends joked about my addiction to broccoli, as I ate it up to three times a day – I even tracked down broccoli crisps!

Though I used to go swimming, I had never really exercised at the gym since I’d put on weight, as I hated the idea of mirrors, Lycra and people staring. But now I was a bit lighter, I decided to brave a fitness class near our home in Weston Turville, Buckinghamshire, and because I wasn’t out of breath any more, I found I really enjoyed it. Now, I do two flow fusion yoga classes, which is like fast Pilates, and kettlebells. I wanted to tone up as I lost weight, and now I’m a regular. Tim and I also go on six-mile walks now, which we both really enjoy, and it’s a chance to catch up with each other as well as get fit.

I knew everything had changed a couple of weeks before we flew out for the wedding. I was in John Lewis with my two sisters.

I’d left choosing my dress as late as possible so I could reach my goal weight. And there I was at last, holding a size 10 dress in kingfisher blue. At £350 it was definitely special enough for a New York wedding – and buying it, knowing it would fit perfectly, was such a moment of joy. I even bought myself a new swimsuit.

The wedding week was fabulous, and I knew there’d be lots of photos taken, which I’d always hated before – but four stone down, I’d hit my 9st 13lb target, and I’m beaming with pride and confidence in those snaps.

I’ve easily maintained my target weight for over a year since then. I’m slim, healthy and my marriage is better than ever, as Tim is so pleased I’m happy, too. He was thrilled to see me in my wedding dress on our anniversary – and I intend to try it on again every year!

As told to Flic Everett