Emma's story
Name: Emma
Weight loss: 14st 5lb
Was: 27st 1lb
Now: 12st 10lb
Age: 33
Height: 5'6"
"I can wear fitted jeans rather than elasticated leggings and, for the first time, I bought knee-length boots. "
The problem was huge portions I was eight years old when my weight problems began. My mum gave us healthy meals but our portions were huge.
Worse still, I was a secret eater. I'd suffered bullying through school and ate for comfort, buying sweets with my pocket money. At 18, I was a size 22.
Feeling loved When I met James, he made me feel loved. But when we moved in together, I put on more weight as we enjoyed takeaways and big meals. Then, when I was 26, we had our first child, Alfie, now seven.
When we tried for our second baby, we suffered three miscarriages and I found it incredibly hard. I felt like they were my fault because I was overweight, so I decided to do something about it. At my first WW Workshop, I weighed 27st 1lb and, over eight months, I lost 5st. The scales were going down for the first time in my life and it felt fantastic.
Blamed tough pregnancy on weight I started to cook WW meals at home and James and I swapped our takeaways for homemade curries. To add to our happiness, I finally fell pregnant.
But it was a tough pregnancy. I suffered from symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), which causes pelvic pain. And at six months I developed gestational diabetes – overweight mums are much more at risk of this, and it can have an effect on your baby. I went into labour three weeks early and I ended up having a Caesarean.
Seth (now two) needed to go to special care after his birth and I felt so helpless. By the time I saw him, doctors had stabilised his blood sugars but he had an infection and jaundice and I was only able to hold him to feed him.
I couldn't shake the guilty feeling that it was my weight that had made him poorly.
Concentrate on little goals Something in me clicked and after my six-week check up, I went back to my WW Workshop. This time, I weighed in at 25st 11lb. I was overwhelmed, but my leader taught me to concentrate on little goals, like my first 7lb and then my first five per cent.
We completely changed the way we ate at home. I looked up WW recipes online and when I was too tired or busy to cook, James would rustle up a WW ready meal.
No longer feeling fat and frumpy As my shape began to change, I'd get excited about being able to dress without feeling fat and frumpy. I can wear fitted jeans rather than elasticated leggings and, for the first time, I bought knee-length boots. Best of all, on evenings when we are all together as a family I am the one down on the carpet wrestling with the boys.
Since starting my journey two years ago, I've lost more than 14st. How amazing is that? My head still hasn't caught up with my weight loss, and I'm still learning about who I am. But James has definitely taken notice!
I couldn't have done it without…
1. My husband, James He's been unfailingly supportive. If I ever have a moment where I say, 'I can't do it,' he'll always remind me that I did and I can.
2. Curry You'd never think you could eat curry and lose weight – but with WW you can. I make a mean chicken curry – hot and spicy, just how we like it.
3. My shoe-spiration Thinking about the high-heels I wanted to wear was really motivating for me. I never used to be able to wear heels and now I can dance in them all night.