Mum’s incredible weight loss after being asked if she was pregnant

A mother-of-two who was mistaken for being pregnant due to her weight has shed an impressive six stone in just eight months by embracing a “Britalian” diet that includes pizza, pasta, and wine.

Francesca Bell, a 41-year-old marketing manager from near Bakewell in the Peak District, revealed she had tried “everything” to slim down – from fad diets and hypnosis to meal replacement shakes and homeopathic remedies – but to no avail.

Standing at 5ft 4in, Francesca reached her peak weight of 95kg (14st 13lbs) in 2024, finding herself struggling to fit into her wardrobe, with one colleague even inquiring if she was expecting a third child during a work event.

The turning point came after a holiday in Italy, which inspired Francesca to delve into “how the Italians eat and move”. She “fell down a rabbit hole of research”, reading articles and studies from organisations such as Harvard and the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Armed with this knowledge, she established a calorie limit and formulated some “golden rules” based on Italian eating customs, such as avoiding milky coffees after 11am and opting for sweet breakfasts. The results were clear as she saw the pounds melting away.

Between May and December 2024, Francesca lost a total of 6st 4lbs, all while enjoying over 365 croissants, regular helpings of pizza and pasta, indulgent puddings, and sipping on wine. She describes the diet as a way to “lose weight and enjoy food without guilt.”

Fransesca affectionately refers to her successful regime as “The Britalian Diet”.

Speaking to PA Real Life, Francesca shared: “This journey wouldn’t have been sparked without that trip and everything that led up to it.

“I put on so much weight that I looked like I was expecting a baby, but even that wasn’t enough to incentivise me at the time.

“It doesn’t seem real and I’ve changed so much, both physically and emotionally – I’ve actually got a jawline and cheekbones!

“I’ve learned that it’s all about balance and that you don’t have to remove all the enjoyment from your life – it’s possible to lose weight and still have the things you love.”

Francesca’s struggle with fluctuating weight has been an ongoing battle; however, in recent years, she found herself categorised as “overweight”.

Talking about her journey, she mentioned that she experimented with various fad diets, hypnosis apps, and meal replacement shakes but nothing stuck because they weren’t “sustainable”.

Singling out one particular method, she commented, “The worst one I tried was homeopathic drops,” which involved placing drops on her tongue each morning as part of a restrictive diet.

She admitted, “I think that one lasted for about two days before I realised, who can stick to this?”

Although she said she was “never massively overweight”, during the Covid-19 pandemic she experienced a gradual weight increase, finding herself at her heaviest in 2024, weighing 95kg (14st 13lbs).

Those times were marked by feelings of being “fed up, embarrassed and frustrated”. The turning point came following a particularly difficult memory from a work conference in March of that year, which became etched in her mind as one of the “worst moments”.

Francesca, who works remotely, shared her experience: “I work remotely, so I don’t have to wear corporate clothing all that often, but I went to my wardrobe the night before and tried on all of my business-type outfits and I couldn’t get into anything.”

She continued, “I had to actually stop at the M&S on the way and buy a larger pair of trousers and I squeezed myself into a size 18.”

Francesca recalled the emotional moment in the changing room: “I just cried and I thought, how did I let this happen?” Adding to her distress, she was asked if she was pregnant by a work colleague at a conference.

Following this, Francesca booked a “bucket-list trip to Italy” with her family, hoping it would motivate her to lose weight.

However, she admitted, “I hadn’t lost a pound by the time (they) got there”. It was only after seeing the holiday photos, which she “hated”, that she found the right mindset.

“There’s something about crappy holiday photos. It just makes you think, ‘I’ve had enough of this’,” she said. Upon returning home, Francesca began reflecting on the trip, the people they met, and the food they ate.

Having read that Italy is one of the healthiest countries in the world, she decided to do some online research instead of resorting to restrictive dieting.

“I just love Italian food and I wondered how they were able to stay slim while eating pizza, pasta and gelato,” she said. “I thought, if they can do it, then surely I can just figure out what they’re doing and replicate it.”

Francesca revealed that she delved into articles, medical studies, and trials, learning about Italian “habits and traditions around food and movement” and even conversed with several Italians about their dietary habits.

While some insights were “common sense”, like increasing fruit and vegetable intake, others were “more interesting” – such as avoiding milky coffees after 11am and always having a sweet breakfast, for instance, a croissant with jam.

She set herself an average daily calorie limit of about 1,400, cut down on ultra-processed foods, and opted for hearty meals at lunch and dinner, including sandwiches with salad, pasta, pizza, and lemon and garlic chicken with vegetables and potatoes.

Francesca also made it a point to walk 10,000 steps each day but didn’t give up wine during dinner, choosing instead to drink from smaller glasses, and allowed herself desserts like gelato or fruit pudding.

“I learned the weight was going without being starving all the time and I didn’t have to cook misery meals like grilled chicken and lettuce. It was just brilliant,” she expressed.

From May to December 2024, Francesca shared that she shed 88lbs (6st 4lbs) and now tips the scales at roughly 53kg (8st 5lbs), having gone from a UK size 18 to a size 8. .

The mum revealed she coined the term “The Britalian Diet” while showering, which also happens to be the title of her book detailing the habits and unwritten rules that transformed her life. According to her, slowing down while eating, choosing quality ingredients, achieving balance instead of deprivation, and cultivating a positive mindset are essential for sustainable weight loss.

She elaborated: “You get to this point where you think, nothing works and nothing will ever work. It’s impossible, I can’t lose weight, I’m just going to be stuck in this frame of mind forever.

“But I’ve realised you don’t need a restrictive fad diet to lose the weight.

“I’m no longer in that constant cycle of stress and now I just feel at peace.”

Here’s a glimpse into Francesca’s current diet:

Breakfast: A croissant paired with jam and a coffee

Lunch: Toasted ciabatta sandwich filled with Parma ham and cheese, served with fresh veggies or a salad

Snack: A platter featuring an assortment of picky bits such as olives, cheese, breadsticks, and fruit, accompanied by an espresso

Dinner: A light soup or a salad with pasta, paired with a small glass of wine

Dessert: A scoop of gelato or a fruit-based pudding.