A mum who was so ashamed of her 27th body that she wore two pairs of leggings ‘to cover her legs and bum’ has lost her impressive 16th body in just 15 months.
Gemma Loveden, 37, was unhappy with her weight and was unable to be the mother she wanted to be to her six children.
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She called herself the ‘bag mother’ – the one who took care of the children’s belongings while they went out to play or do things she couldn’t.
But now, after her drastic transformation, people are asking her partner of two decades, Guy, 43, who his new girlfriend is.
Gemma, from Merseyside, gained weight during her six pregnancies and, as a busy mum, ate lots of sugary snacks and takeaways, as well as extra-large portions.
She says: “I wore two pairs of leggings at a time to cover my legs and butt, so I was always hot and sweaty.
“I was too fat for regular chairs and couldn’t fit on swings or outings with my kids.
“I felt like I wasn’t being the mother I wanted to be.
“At my heaviest, I took painkillers every night because my joints were terribly painful.
“I would cry myself to sleep because they hurt so much and I was constantly waking up during the night and having to physically get up to the other side.”
Gemma hated how she felt and looked, but it was a warning from her doctor that prompted her to act.
After her sixth child, she was told that she could die before she was 40 if she didn’t lose weight.
His weight was contributing to his asthma, high cholesterol and joint pain.
Gemma, who has more than 85,000 members in her family food inspiration group on Facebook, said: “I spent years not looking the way I wanted, but it took a doctor’s warning, plus the devastating loss of a friend, to shock me. and make me do something about it.”
At school, she was always taller than her friends, but over the years she also became bigger.
At 13, she started Slimming World – the first of many diets she would try throughout her life.
At 17, she left home and moved in with Guy, and the couple lived off takeaways.
At age 19, she became pregnant with her first child, Crystal, during which she craved Ribena and sugary foods.
When she gave birth, Gemma weighed more than 20 kilos.
After that, she ate “anything and everything,” and when Crystal was six, Gemma and Guy had their second son, Curtis.
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Gemma then had four consecutive pregnancies and her weight spiraled out of control.
Obese and depressed, she continued trying everything to lose weight, going on yo-yo diets, shakes, fad diets, even starving herself. But nothing worked.
She said: “I started my Facebook group Gastronomic family meals in July 2021 to share my nutritious, healthy, and affordable meals, and I couldn’t believe it when members kept joining.
“I ate good food and healthy ingredients, but in excess.
“Being overweight was horrible. I was so ashamed of being big. People looked, laughed and gestured at me on the street.”
Death of friend awakens motivation
After having her sixth child, the scales tipped to 27 pounds and Gemma wore a size 28 dress.
It was at this time that she lost a friend and also a mother, which changed her mentality.
“I was distraught over losing a friend to cancer, and she was only a few years older than me,” Gemma said.
“She died leaving her two young children behind, through no fault of her own.
“It broke my heart and I thought, ‘What am I doing?’
“I was carrying all this weight and I had health problems, and it all depended on me and my unhealthy lifestyle.
“My pain changed something in me. I couldn’t leave my children behind. I wanted to change.”
The guy has already had people asking who his new girlfriend is – without realizing it’s still me, less than half the size!
Egg yolk
When a doctor warned that her obesity could kill her before she was 40th birthday, she didn’t wait another second.
Gemma said: “I told my doctor I had tried everything to lose weight and I had six children who I couldn’t be active with.
“So I asked him if I could have weight loss surgery. I always said I was ready to change, but now I really was.”
Gemma was referred and after undergoing weight control, mental health checks and being told to lose five per cent of her body weight, she went ahead with the NHS surgery in October 2022.
She says: “On the day of the surgery I was shaking, petrified. I almost left, but luckily I didn’t.
“I had a mini gastric bypass which involved one cut in the intestine instead of two.”
For the first few weeks, Gemma was on a liquid diet. After that, she could barely eat a slice of ham, half a Babybel or a few sips of milk a day.
But over time, she was able to eat what she cooked for her family of eight, but in much smaller portions.
The father I am today is everything, he is a dream come true.
Egg yolk
In eight weeks, she had lost nine pounds. Her weight continued to drop and she is now the 16th lightest.
She weighs 11 kg and wears a size 10-12 dress.
Gemma says: “After losing more than half my body weight, my confidence has increased in terms of self-belief.
“When I had the surgery, I expected to lose 7th place. So losing 16th place in 15 months is crazy.
“Guy has already had people asking who his new girlfriend is – not realizing it’s still me, just less than half the size!
“It certainly wasn’t easy, but I was very relieved to have had the surgery.
“There are no words that can express how I feel about being an active and involved mother.
“I used to call myself the ‘bag mom’, the one who took care of all the children’s things while they ran or went for walks.
“Now I’m on roller coasters and bumper cars with them, asking which ride we can go on next.”
Gemma and Guy are busy parents to their six children, Crystal, 18, Curtis, 12, Cassius, seven, Clayah, five, Creeson, four, and Carmelo, three.
Gemma says: “I still cook for everyone and still share meals in my Facebook group, I just have a much smaller portion for myself.
“And if I cook something like sweet and sour chicken, for example, I’ll make a low-sugar version. I love being able to still eat what my family eats.”
Along with Gemma’s changing body, so has her wardrobe.
The mother-of-six swapped her oversized leggings for dresses, miniskirts and cute blouses.
She works at a school and has now gained the confidence to train to be a teaching assistant.
Gemma says: “I’m enjoying every minute of life with my partner and six children. I have a little loose skin, but it’s not too bad.
“Before I lost weight, I never thought I was good enough to do anything.
“Now I have grown immensely as a person. Being the father I am today is everything, it’s a dream come true.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
