‘Losing 11st helped me finally become a mum’
When Tracey Yale, 38, was told she couldn’t conceive, she embarked on a mission to change her health
Growing up I’d always been overweight, but I tried to not let it bother me. “You’re just big boned,” people would tell me. By the time I reached my twenties, I was a size 18. I didn’t own a set of scales and had no idea what I weighed. For me, ignorance was bliss, and I loved Mcdonald’s, pizza and fruit ciders too much to change.
Then in 2008, when I was 25, I went to see my GP. My periods had always been erratic, and sometimes they’d disappear for months at a time. When they did come, they would be accompanied by intense cramps that left me doubled over in excruciating pain. My GP confirmed I had polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that affects ovulation. “The chances of you ever conceiving naturally are very low,” he warned me.
I was single at the time, but I felt crushed. I’d always known I wanted a family, and suddenly it felt like that choice had been taken away from me. When I started dating Matt later that year, the GP’S words weighed heavily on my mind. As things became more serious between us, I knew I needed to be honest, but to my relief, he reassured me. “If we can’t have kids, we’ll just enjoy more holidays,” he said.
In 2013, we married, and by that Christmas, we were ready to think about having a baby. But by then, I was bigger than ever, and I knew that I needed to tackle my diet before seeking fertility treatment. For breakfast I’d pick up a couple of pastries and a bottle of chocolate milk on the way to work, then lunch would be a Mcdonald’s meal. After an afternoon spent snacking on chocolate and biscuits, I would head home for a pizza or Chinese takeaway. I adored prawn toast, sweet and sour chicken and anything battered, and could easily spend £25 on my order alone. But I knew that all this would need to change before I could ask for a referral to see a specialist. I worked in the office at my local GP surgery and understood that I would have to show that I was willing to help myself before I could expect help on the NHS.
That December, I enjoyed a final blow out, savouring all my Christmas favourites like Stilton and mince pies, but when February rolled around, I summoned the motivation to enrol at my local Slimming World group near my home in Derby. I hadn’t weighed myself for years, so was stunned when 22st 3.5lbs flashed up on the scales. I was 5ft 7in and knew that meant I was seriously obese. But I walked out armed with recipe books and a determination that I’d never had before. “I’ll lose a bit of weight, then tell the doctor I want a baby,” I said to myself.
Back home, I started making healthier swaps. Breakfast became porridge or yoghurt with berries and bananas, lunch was a pasta salad with chicken or ham, and dinner switched from takeaways to spaghetti Bolognese or a shepherd’s pie made with lean mince. When I returned to Slimming World the following week, I was shocked to discover that I’d lost 8lbs. And over the next few months, the weight continued to drop off. By September, I had shed an incredible 6st and weighed 16st. I felt a bubble of excitement that my dream of having a family of our own could actually happen.
That October, I started to feel tired and nauseous. “It’s just a tummy bug,” I told myself, but
‘I am so proud of myself’
when I spotted a pregnancy test in the bathroom cupboard, I grabbed it on the spur of the moment. And, to my disbelief, I soon saw two tell-tale lines beginning to form. Shaking with shock and disbelief, I ran downstairs and showed it to Matt. I’d always believed conceiving would be a long, hard slog, but it had happened naturally despite my fears.
My pregnancy went well, and in May 2015 I gave birth to a little boy, Joey. Having him made me more determined to not go back to the person I was before – the one who got out of breath just walking up the stairs. I wanted to be strong and fit enough to
make the most of life with our little boy. So, I returned to Slimming World. I weighed 20st, but I didn’t let it faze me. All I had to do was take control.
Over the next few months, I stuck religiously to my eating plan, and Monday became our weigh-in day. In the morning, I’d place Joey on the scales at the baby clinic, then I would head to Slimming World in the evening to weigh myself. As he gained ounces, I lost pounds – and we both became stronger, too. Soon I started taking him out in his buggy for a mix of jogging and walking. It was hard at first, but as I grew fitter, it became less of a slog.
Within four months of Joey’s birth, I’d dropped back down to my pre-pregnancy weight – but I didn’t stop there. I carried on my journey, and by December 2015, I’d lost 8st. By November 2017, I’d shed an amazing 11st, dropping to a size 10. Chipping away week by week had added up to numbers that I never could have imagined possible.
Nearly four years on, it’s hard to believe that I’m literally half the woman I used to be. When I look back at “before” photos, I’ll never think badly of the woman I was. She was the one who took control and had the courage to make the choices that got me where I am today.
Joey is now six, and I love taking him to the park on his scooter. Together we’ve done Zumba classes on Zoom and even weighted workouts – Joey has his own set of child-friendly dumbbells. I absolutely love crawling after him through the tunnels at soft play, too. I am so proud of myself – losing weight helped me have the family I always dreamed of.
To find out more about Slimming World and how to join, visit Slimmingworld.co.uk or Slimmingworld.ie, or call 0344 897 8000 or 01 656 9696