A woman who weighed almost 16 stone was inspired to lose weight after receiving a cruel comment from a stranger on Tinder.
Alexandra Ulverich, 32, from Southampton, was once a size 16-18 and weighed 15st 9lbs – but has since lost an impressive 6st 5lbs.
She said she would ‘comfort on food’, indulging in two takeaways a week and ‘share-size’ chocolate bars.
But less than two years later, she now weighs 9.4 pounds and pole dances.
Alexandra started her weight loss journey following a shocking comment from a man on dating website Tinder after she politely turned him down.
Alexandra Ulverich, 32, lost almost a third of her body weight after receiving a cruel comment from a man on Tinder (pictured as a size 6 after weight loss)
The law student from Southampton said she would ‘comfort on food’, indulging in two takeaways a week and ‘share-size’ chocolate bars (pictured as a size 16-18 before her weight loss)
He said to her shamelessly, ‘A woman as great as you is lucky that someone is showing interest.’
The international business law graduate says: ‘I have always been slim, but I only really started gaining weight around my twenties.
‘I was miserable, and when a man on a dating website commented on my weight, I knew I had to do something about it.
‘Now I have so much more confidence.’
During her teenage years, Alexandra, who is 6 feet tall, weighed 9.8 pounds and wore clothing size 8-10.
But she struggled with anxiety and emetophobia – the fear of vomiting or witnessing other people being sick.
At 24, she started comfort eating after her anxiety “got so bad she couldn’t leave the house” and said doctor-prescribed antidepressants didn’t help.
Alexandra ate two takeaway burgers or pizzas a week, sharing bars of chocolate – when even cooking at home meant huge portions of pasta and rice.
Alexandra was a size 16-18 and weighed 15kg (left) – but has lost an impressive 6kg in less than two years (right)
As a result, she gained 5.7 pounds, and by the time she was 30, she weighed 15.9 pounds and wore size 16-18 clothes.
Alexandra, now a dress size 6-8, commented, “I hated my body. I couldn’t bear to buy clothes because nothing would fit me, and when I found something, it just looked shabby.
‘I didn’t recognize myself anymore.’
Alexandra tried several diets but found she could never lose the pounds.
She explains: ‘I thought that to lose weight I didn’t have to eat anything.
‘I was too restrictive and ended up craving unhealthy food even more. I had no idea about nutrition.”
After receiving the comment from a stranger on Tinder, she said: “I knew I was overweight, but it was upsetting to hear it from someone else.
‘I stepped on the scales and when I saw that I weighed 6.5kg, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
She said she ‘hated’ her body before she lost weight and thought she looked ‘scruffy’ in clothes
Alexandra started meal planning and portion control, and took up pole dancing and kettlebell training
‘It’s enough. I had to make a change for myself. I was tired of being unhappy.”
In May 2022, Alexandra started walking 10,000 steps every day and limited herself to 2,000 calories.
After a few months she reduced this to 1600 calories.
She meal planned and made sure her portions were under control, but ultimately ate what she wanted and never skipped dessert.
For dinner, Alexandra often ate homemade hamburgers and incorporated plenty of protein and vegetables into her diet.
Within a year, Alexandra lost 5th place and in May 2023 she started pole dancing and trained at home with kettlebells five or six times a week.
Alexandra had tried diets before and was never able to shift the weight, but made more changes after a cruel comment on Tinder (pictured earlier)
She started walking 10,000 steps every day and limited herself to 2,000 calories, which she later cut to 1,600 (photo below)
Alexandra says: ‘I was still struggling with anxiety, but exercise really boosted my mood.
‘I started to feel so much fitter and exercising became easier.’
Now, less than two years later, Alexandra weighs 9.4 pounds and is a size 6-8.
She added: ‘It took a while to see results, but when I did it felt great. I now get a lot of compliments from people telling me how good I look.
‘I like shopping because I know I can dress however I want. When I look in the mirror, I feel happy.