Stockton Heath bride spills remarkable weight loss journey

Beki Michler has always been a devoted gym-goer which has enabled her to live out her foodie dreams while staying in peak health, but when lockdown hit and the gyms closed, her mental and physical health took a hit.

“I first got into fitness when I was 21. I was massively overweight, I went to see a doctor and they said you can either go on anti-depressants or go to the gym,” she said.

“When Covid hit, I couldn’t go to the gym anymore and that has always helped with my mental health. My comfort other than the gym was food.”

Beki gained six stone in weight during and after her pregnancy to first son (Image: Beki Michler)

The 36-year-old was living in London at the time with her partner and fell pregnant with her first child in 2021.

“We decided to move back up North to Warrington, and I had my son on Mother’s Day by breach caesarean.”

Beki explained how after the birth of her son she had gained six stone in weight and was ‘really not happy’.

“I tried to get back to the gym. I went down to do a burpee and could not get back up off the floor. I could not do anything; it was a terrifying moment.”

In December of 2021, Beki’s partner got down and one knee and she described this as the turning point in her weight loss journey.

“I thought, ‘right I am not going to be a fat bride’. I went to try on a few wedding dresses in July and I was horrified at what I saw.”

Beki soon discovered Bayes Fitness in Stockton Heath (Image: Supplied)

This is when she discovered Bayse Fitness Club in Stockton Heath on Facebook.

Based on London Road, the gym uniquely works by holding group sessions for its members, with each member having their own station where they do different sets of exercises taught by a trainer who leads the class and gives one-to-one help and advice.

“Since joining the sessions I have loved every second of it. I kept it up and I started to see results,” Beki said, “I could see the inches coming off.”

The beautiful bride ‘cried with happiness’ at her final dress fitting, having started her weight loss journey at 19 stone and having dropped five stone in the weeks leading up to the wedding.

The beautiful bride got married in Cyprus this June (Image: Photo7 Studio)

Mike Smith, a trainer at Bayse helped Beki in reaching her goals.

The Padgate resident said: “Beki came in with a negative mind-set that she was never going to get there. We didn’t think she was going to get there as fast as she did.

“When she started listening to our advice, she started to see results. The big thing Becki did was follow a strict diet.

“She followed a typical plan of three sessions a week minimum.”

Trainer at Bayse Fitness Club Mike Smith helped Beki on her weight loss journey (Image: Supplied)

Mike added that Beki’s ‘strong goal in mind’ spurred her on to achieve the results she wanted.

“She is a good example of somebody who stuck to the criteria and saw great results.”

Summarising her fitness journey, Beki said: “There were tears along the way, but I was really proud of what I achieved. It was all thanks to the guys at Bayse.

“We had a beautiful wedding in May this year in Cyprus - it was like a fairy tale.”

Beki described her wedding as a 'fairy tale' (Image: Photo7 Studio)

Beki has recently begun to run some of the weekend training sessions at the gym.

Mike has led sessions at Bayse for the last two years and emphasised how people of all fitness levels are welcomed to the classes.

“95 per cent of the people who come are beginners. The same people go to the sessions each week and you will meet people with similar goals and similar mind sets.

“I think one of the best things about the gym is the community spirit.”