A mother and daughter duo from Congleton, Cheshire, have turned their weight loss triumph into a booming business promoting fashion inclusivity after shedding nearly 15 stone between them.
“I started gaining weight in my mid 20s,” Angie revealed. “I’m not sure if it was because I quit smoking around that time to start a family.”
Angie described her weight as a “constant battle” of fluctuating dieting since then, adding: “Every time I made progress, something would knock me off track.
“I tried everything from personal trainers and diet pills. I spent thousands of pounds trying to lose weight, but nothing stuck.”
Her turning point came after speaking to a friend who had undergone a gastric bypass on the NHS and lost eight stone, but she was unable to get the same help despite being classified as “morbidly obese” with a body mass index (BMI) of 55.
Angie said: “I’d been to the doctors multiple times over 14 years; they just want to keep referring you to dieticians. I found that trying to lose that much weight on my own was just impossible, I needed extra help.”
The mother-of-two underwent successful gastric bypass surgery at Weight Loss Riga in July 2022. Following her surgery, Angie has managed to lose an impressive 11 stone and now weighs in at 14 stone, comfortably fitting into a size 14 dress.
Sophie witnessed her mother thrive following the surgery; Angie finally loved to dress us, which encouraged Sophie to face her own weight issues.
“It all happened quite quickly,” Angie revealed. “One day in December Sophie came up to me and said, ‘Mum, I’ve done something.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay, what have you done? Are you pregnant?’ All these things run through your mind.”
Sophie had contacted Weight Loss Riga and had booked an appointment for herself. “My response was, ‘Oh, my God’… I suddenly had this realisation of how she must have felt to make the call. And she was 18 at the time; it’s such a big thing.”
Angie elaborated: “My other daughter, who is 15, is a size six, so Sophie has had to grow up with a sister who can eat and wear whatever she wants. I think it was also a case of, ‘Oh, my God… my mum is going to be thinner than me.'”
After getting the green light for surgery, Sophie travelled to Latvia for a gastric sleeve operation in January. She has since lost nearly four stone, now weighing 10 stone seven pounds, and boasts a healthier BMI of 26.
Angie said: “We worried about her age but after discussing with doctors and thinking about my own lifelong weight struggles, we knew it was the right choice for her. Now she’s happier and healthier than ever.”
Inspired by their healthier habits and love for fashion, the mother-daughter duo teamed up to start Dress2mydoor, a dress rental service born when Angie’s body changed, leaving her with lots of dresses that didn’t fit anymore.
“It all happened quite quickly,” Angie revealed. “One day in December Sophie came up to me and said, ‘Mum, I’ve done something’. And I’m like, okay, what have you done? Are you pregnant? All these things run through your mind.”
“We spotted an opportunity through our own weight loss journey,” said Angie. “We have created a collection for others to feel confident in. Our motto is clear: everyone deserves their Cinderella moment.”
Angie said: “We’re inclusive, offering sizes six to 28, celebrating all shapes and sizes and promoting body positivity. People donate dresses because they believe in our vision, helping us offer more affordable options.”
Since embarking on her dramatic weight loss journey, Angie said she has “never felt better” after significantly reducing her food portion sizes and focusing on high-protein meals such as chicken salads, cottage cheese and crackers, and homemade chicken curries cooked by her husband.
“My friends tell me I look unrecognisable since my glow-up,” she said. “After losing weight, I changed everything from my hair to my style. I finally feel found after being lost for a very long time.”
Dr Maksims Mukans, a top bariatric surgeon at Weight Loss Riga, detailed: “After gastric sleeve surgery, patients feel fuller after eating less due to their smaller stomach.
“This surgery also resets their metabolism, crucial for breaking the cycle of weight loss and regain. Our patients receive extensive support, including nutritional guidance, and we empower them to make positive lifestyle changes.”
