Mum Gemma loses more than 7st for her young daughter
A DERBYSHIRE mum was inspired to lose more than seven stone following the birth of her first child.
Gemma Johnson, who lives in Ilkeston, tipped the scales at 19st 6lb two months after her daughter Grace was born.
Gemma says being overweight meant she often felt tired, leaving her unable to play with her daughter as much as she would have liked.
Determined to be the best mum she can, the 32-year-old took action and started to transform her diet and lifestyle in early 2018. Gemma, who lives with husband Gregg, has since slimmed down to 12st 2lb, going from a size 22 to a size 12.
Grace is now three and has a mum who is more confident and full of energy to play with her.
Looking back on the struggles she faced before her weight loss, Gemma said: “I’d been overweight since I was a young child, I’d always been a yo-yo dieter.
“I didn’t do any exercise at all and I was always eating stodgy foods – I used to go through bags of crisps and chocolate during the day while my husband was at work.
“Eating out was a big thing for us, going to pubs and restaurants and choosing the unhealthy option like burger and chips.
“But when I had my daughter, I knew something had to change. I was getting tired easily and lazy, and I didn’t want that for my daughter. I just wanted to be able to run around and play with her without feeling tired and not make excuses to avoid doing it. “
Gemma, who grew up in Leeds before moving to Derbyshire, has since made big changes to her diet and took up walking during the first Covid-19 lockdown earlier this year.
Detailing how she slimmed down to become a size 12 for the first time in many years, Gemma said: “It is about having everything in moderation. I usually go for the healthier option now, and love eating fruit like melon or strawberries.
“I cook everything from scratch, one of my favourite meals to make is spaghetti Bolognese. My daughter is eating well too, at the moment she prefers having strawberries over sweets or chocolate.
“In terms of exercise, I did the Couch to 5k during lockdown, and I’ve got a mini gym in the shed at home. We also go out for long dog walks at the weekend.”
Gemma launched a new Slimming World group at the New Horizon Christian Centre, in Langley Mill. The group will be running virtually every Tuesday while the area is in Tier 4. Those who would like to find out more can call Gemma on 07834 725241.
She added: “I’m full of life now and the total opposite of what I was like before - it has totally changed my life, I can’t remember ever being a size 12.
“I’ve got a lot more confidence, my self-esteem has grown, and I don’t hide away any more.”
I just wanted to be able to run around and play with her without feeling tired.
Gemma Johnsonn