MUM LOSES 4½ST AFTER ‘BORDERLINE DIABETES’ WARNING
38-year-old all set for wedding
A Mum-of-three who gained the confidence to join Slimming World during lockdown has lost an incredible four-and-a-half stone.
Gemma Rhodes, from Chell Heath, joined the group in January last year after her doctor told her she was borderline diabetic.
The 38-year-old says she decided to join the group after reaching just over 16 stone.
She said: “I weighed 16 stone and four pounds. The doctor said I was borderline diabetic. My nan and mum are insulin dependent and I don’t like needles so that’s when I decided to join.”
Gemma says lockdown gave her
the confidence to join a Slimming World group.
She said: “My friend recommended it. I’d never been to a group before, never been to any of the slimming places and I didn’t feel comfortable joining a group.
“Because of lockdown, I could do it online so it gave me the incentive to join – I wouldn’t have gone otherwise. That weekly meeting was something to look forward to during such a hard time for people.
“If you missed a session one week, people would be missing you, checking you’re OK. It was a bit of you-time just for yourself.”
Gemma, who is marrying her long-term partner Paul, at Port Vale, in July, continued: “I think sometimes the weight just catches up with you and you don’t realise how big you are. I
want to get to 10-and-a-half stone for my wedding and then see where I am after that.
“My wedding dress fits nicely now, and I’ve got straps so I can adjust it to be smaller. It goes bigger too but hopefully it doesn’t need to go that way!
“Losing all that weight was just from changing my diet, I didn’t do any extra exercise – I’ll start doing that now.”
Gemma says her life has improved for both her and her children Damien, 11, Lacie-mai, 8, and Emily, 3.
“My breathlessness is better, I can catch my kids now. I just feel more active and even my mood isn’t so down. To anyone thinking of slimming, just give it a try. You can still eat things that you wouldn’t think you can and you start to be healthy for yourself and your family too.”