text: It is an all-consuming fear experienced by almost every bride-to-be - will I fit into my wedding dress? But for Shanna McCormick, that particular concern paled into insignificance. Weighing 28st, the 31-year-old, feared she would not live to see her wedding day. For most of her adult life, Miss McCormick's obesity meant had been in and out of hospital, suffering with life-threatening asthma attacks. Doctors warned the strain of being overweight would kill her if she didn't slim down - and fast. Shanna McCormick, 31, whose weight had ballooned to nearly 28st (left) managed to lose 16.5st in two years so she can walk down the aisle with pride . Before her weight loss, Miss McCormick's partner Dan Dimmock had been terrified his partner would die in her sleep. Now, the pair are engaged to be married and have bought a house together . Determined not to be a fat wife to her boyfriend of 14 years, Dan Dimmock, Miss McCormick called off their engagement to embark on a strict two-year weight-loss plan. It was only after she managed to lose 16.5st and dropped 18 dress sizes that she decided she was ready to walk down the aisle. Miss McCormick, 31, from Manchester, said: 'I had been told for years that my life was at risk because of my weight, and so it went in one ear out the other. 'I was immune to hearing it because I'd heard it for so long, but it was different for Dan. BEFORE: . Breakfast: Nothing. Morning snack: Two bags of sweets and fizzy drink. Lunch: Fish and chips. Afternoon snack: Cans of fizzy drink with more sweets, chocolate and crisps. Dinner: Chinese takeaway plus several glasses of wine or cider, and more sweets. AFTER: . Breakfast: Flour-free pancakes with raspberries or a Cambridge shake. Morning snack: Fruit and bottle of water. Lunch: Tuna or chicken salad with water. Dinner: Omelette with green salad and water. Afternoon snack: Bag of hazelnuts with water. 'He was worried sick. Sometimes he couldn't sleep at night because he thought something would happen to me. 'He used to check to see that I was still breathing in the middle of the night. 'The truth is that, at my biggest, I didn't think I had a future. 'Doctors warned me I would die if I didn't lose weight, so what was the point in planning a wedding? 'I might not even be there to see it.' At 5ft 6ins, Miss McCormick's life was in constant danger and she admits she can't remember a time when she was not overweight. At primary school she was the biggest girl in her class and she was already obese by the time she moved to secondary school. Conditions linked to her weight, including asthma, made her a target for bullies, and she turned to food for comfort. By the time she met Dan aged 18, Miss McCormick was living on crisps, bread and pizza. She was a size 20 and weighed 22st. Though he was slim, her weight crept up to its 27.5st peak as their relationship progressed. In 2007 she spent nine days in intensive care when she suffered a severe asthma attack, which doctors blamed on her weight. Miss McCormick said doctors warnings her weight would kill her went 'in one ear out the other'. But they terrified her partner, who couldn't sleep at night worrying something might happen to her . Miss McCormick said: 'I was offered weight-loss surgery but was too scared of dying on the operating table, because my weight made the anaesthetic a risk. 'I knew something had to give but I didn't know how to make the change.' In 2010 the couple became engaged for the first time, but it soon became clear there was no way they could plan their big day with Miss McCormick's health problems. Her frequent visits to hospital meant that it would have been very difficult to set a date and stick to it. 'I wanted nothing more than to marry Dan but I couldn't stand the thought of him becoming my carer as well as my husband,' she said. 'My size was ruining everything. Now it had even ruined my engagement and stopped me marrying the man I loved.' It was seeing Mr Dimmock's fear and uncertainty about their future together that finally forced Miss McCormick into action and she vowed to stop overeating. But because of her unhealthy relationship with food and several failed attempts with conventional diets, she opted for a meal replacement plan in order to avoid even the slightest temptation. Miss McCormick said she cannot remember a time she wasn't overweight, and used to turn to food for comfort. She is pictured, left and right, before her weight loss . She signed up to the Cambridge Weight Plan in August 2011, which allowed her to have four products a day, including a range of milkshakes, nutrition bars and soups. To her surprise she found it easier to stick to than the calorie controlled plans which had failed in the past. She lost 9lbs in the first week. She recalled: 'It was not easy start with and I missed food terribly, but after a few days I got into the zone and never wavered.' After losing 16.5st, Miss McCormick could look at herself in the mirror with pride . In the first year she lost an impressive 8st and saw her health improve dramatically. 'The asthma attacks become less frequent and I wasn't relying on medication all the time,' she said. She lost another 8st the following year and reached her 11st and size 12 target in March 2013. For the first time, she could look in the mirror with pride. Miss McCormick, who has maintained her target weight since, said: 'I loved being able to shop anywhere I wanted but what I really loved was seeing the peace of mind it gave Dan. 'It was worth all the hard slog. 'And looking in the mirror at the new slender me was a joy. 'I never thought that would happen.' So much so that last June, when Dan popped the question again, while the pair were sat on a Los Angeles beach, Miss McCormick did not think twice about accepting and getting on with the planning. She said: 'He went down on one knee with a gorgeous vintage platinum ring. 'I loved it but I had to have it made smaller when we got back home because I had lost even more weight.' But the biggest compliment came when a friend of the couple failed to recognise her. Miss McCormick, who is now a fully trained weight-loss consultant helping other women reach their goals, said: 'I was sitting there chatting away to him when it dawned on me that he didn't know who I was. 'When I told him it was me he just did not believe me. 'It was a huge compliment.' As well as planning their wedding in Las Vegas next year the couple have also bought their dream period home to renovate. 'It will take us years as it needs a lot of work, but it's something I can commit to now I've lost the weight,' Miss McCormick said. Mr Dimmock said he is delighted his partner was able to lose so much weight. He said: 'I used to think the radical before and-after weight-loss images in glossy magazines could never be true until I watched Shanna do it for herself. 'I am very proud and love her to bits.'
target: Shanna McCormick was 27.5st and had life-threatening asthma attacks .
  Was engaged to her partner who feared she would die in her sleep .
  Miss McCormick decided to put off the wedding to lose weight over 2 years .
  Lost 16.5st with meal replacements and has now set a date for the wedding .