Fearing her children would find her dead on the bedroom floor, an obese mum of four has shared how she shed 220 lbs (100 kg) and became a bodybuilding champion and fitness coach. Weighing over 429 lbs (195 kg), Alicia Briggs of Maryland, USA, was trapped in her own body, unable to stand for more than five minutes without excruciating pain. "I was bedbound and in the worst physical health of my life," the 36-year-old recalled. "I had always thought I'd be an active and involved mum. Instead, I could not participate in the simplest activities with my children." The turning point came in a moment that still brings tears to Alicia's eyes. "I passed out on the floor, and my then five-year-old asked if mummy was dying. That was the wake-up call I needed." Alicia's struggle with weight started at a young age. "My relationship with food was very emotionally driven," she explained. "At age five, I was often left alone at home. Food was a safe friend that made me feel better. It was company when I was lonely, kind when other kids were mean." By 2020, Alicia's weight had ballooned to at least 429 lbs (195 kg) - the highest her scale could measure. The excess weight had taken a severe toll on her health. "I was put on complete bed rest by a neurologist in February 2020 when I was having seizure-like episodes, and I couldn't fit in the MRI to get a clear scan," she remembered. "Standing longer than five minutes was very painful. I couldn't dress myself without assistance. I felt very low and ashamed." Desperate for change, Alicia decided to undergo Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) surgery on 29 December, 2020. It wasn't an easy decision, after years of trying and failing at various diets she thought surgery was her only option. "I tried Keto, low carb, Atkins, WW, Always Eat After 7, going vegan, Dr. Sebi diet, liquid fast, lemon-cayenne pepper diet drink, weight loss pills, phentermine, Beachbody' barre' programme," she listed. "If it existed before 2019, I tried it." The surgery was just the beginning. Alicia knew that the real work lay ahead. "I knew I couldn't rely on the surgery alone, so I decided to give it my all. My first goal was simple: regain my mobility. I wanted to regain my ability to walk longer than five minutes," she explained. "Once I achieved that, I tried weightlifting at a local gym." Alicia continued: "Those early days at the gym were far from glamorous. I had no idea what I was doing, so I did a lot of YouTubing and googling information. I fell off and fell down a lot of equipment. I cried in the car on the way home. I refused to give up. Eventually, if you try enough times, you'll begin to learn and get the hang of things!" Alicia faced a few unexpected challenges as the pounds began to melt away. "I had to deal with loose skin and managing ongoing health issues, including POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and Orthostatic Intolerance - all of which made exercising a challenge. I had to transition from gym workouts to home workouts for safety. Some days were harder than others, but once you've been bedbound, you'll do anything to not be there again. Body image was another huge obstacle I had to overcome. I still see the 400+ lbs Alicia at times. I take a lot of photos and compare to prove to myself that I really did lose weight. It’s not a dream," she admitted. As Alicia's confidence grew, so did her ambitions. In June 2022, barely 18 months after her surgery, she competed in the Summer Shredding competition. "Competing at Summer Shredding was a lifelong dream come true and a blur at the same time," Alicia reminisced. "I fell in love with bodybuilding as a young lady as my dad has been a lifelong fan. Right before competing, I had a mini-stroke and had to rehab myself to make it to the stage. Just competing was enough for me, but I managed to place second. No other black woman had been placed in SS history at that time, and I'm really proud to do that." Today, Alicia is barely recognisable from her former self. She's lost half her body weight, going from 4XL clothes to a size 10. But the physical transformation is just part of her story. Alicia has become a certified personal trainer and the founder of Butterflies and Dumbbells LLC, a coaching programme designed to help women become "healed, whole, and healthy." “There is a funny backstory to why I called my coaching programme Butterflies and Dumbbells. When I was obese, my mum-in-law wrote a card in the mail and called me a bad wife and a bad mother. Those words stuck to me. I had been calling my Journey a Butterfly story for a while and my favourite piece of gym equipment is the dumbbell because it’s so versatile, and one day I said…. I’m B A D - a Butterfly and Dumbbells.” Alicia’s advice for others struggling with weight loss is practical and heartfelt. "Everyone feels frustrated at times during their fitness journey. That frustration is the tipping point towards continuing and succeeding or giving up and having to start over again. Never feel ashamed to ask for help! Never feel bad for taking care of yourself. You're worth taking care of. You're worth the hard work and effort. Believe you can and you will." When: 22 Jul 2024 Credit: Alicia Briggs/Cover Images **EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MATERIALS ONLY TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITORIAL STORY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. MATERIAL COPYRIGHT REMAINS WITH STATED PHOTOGRAPHER AND/OR SUPPLIER.**