I lost 7.5st after adopting my nieces when my sister died from a cardiac arrest
There are certain life-changing events that spur us to make big changes. For Gemma Prosser, the death of her sister and the subsequent adoption of her two nieces kick-started a healthier approach to living - including a 7.5st weight loss.
Gemma, 39, a factory worker from Cwmfelinfach, Wales, and her partner, Gaz Regan, 39, a lorry driver, decided to take in nieces Rubie, 16, and Izzy, 11, when Gemma's sister Ceriann, 36, died from a cardiac arrest on her birthday in September 2016.
The siblings had spent the weekend celebrating together and Ceriann "went to sleep and never woke up," says Gemma.
"My sister had suffered with high blood pressure since she was 18," she explains. "She suffered a massive heart attack in bed. We were so shocked and heartbroken."
Looking after the girls, alongside her son Lestyn, 18, initially caused Gemma to slip into some bad habits. Convenience meals, such as pizza, chips and chicken nuggets, became the norm and she gradually saw her weight creep up. At her heaviest she had a 46 inch waist and weighed 20st 9lbs.
Gemma says she never ate breakfast and would snack on chocolate bars and crisps during the day. By the time she got home for dinner, she would reach for convenient oven food order a takeaway. "I had the diet of a child," she adds.
But concerns about her own health following her sister's sudden death prompted her to overhaul her lifestyle, which saw her lose over a third of her body weight, dropping to 13st 1lb and a trim size 14.
The turning point came in August 2023, when Gemma took a staycation trip to South Wales and struggled to walk on the hiking trails without "panting" and suffered terrible knee pain due to her weight. "My weight didn’t really bother me, but my partner took some photos on that trip of me sat on a rock and I couldn’t believe how big my stomach looked. I knew I had to make a change.”
Her sister's death also made her question her own health, too. "I promised I'd look after her kids, and I have my own too," she explains. "I knew I needed to make sure I was around to care for them. My blood pressure was increasing, and I knew I had to take some action."
Determined to shift the weight, Gemma signed up to Slimming World and changed her diet, swapping the junk food for healthy, homemade meals with low-fat ingredients. The weight started to come off and in less than a year, she'd lost 7st 7lbs.
The weight loss has had an immediate impact physically, with Gemma now able to move more easily, but it also had an impact on her confidence. "I'm so happy with how far I've come and kids are all really proud of me too," she says.
And Gemma has some words of advice for anyone else thinking of trying to lose weight. "Do it," she says. "Don't be afraid to take that first step, you won't regret it. It's transformed my life."
Gemma's diet before
Breakfast - Nothing
Lunch - Sandwich, chocolate bar and crisps
Dinner - Takeaway pizza, chicken nuggets and chips
Snacks - crisps
Drinks - fizzy drinks
Gemma's diet after
Breakfast - Weetabix
Lunch - Salad with protein like chicken
Dinner - low-fat cottage pie or spaghetti bolognese
Snacks - fruit
Drinks - Water
Additional reporting SWNS.
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