A woman has revealed how she a ditched diet of takeaways and fatty foods in a bid to conceive after years of no luck – losing over 12st.
Growing up, Danielle Clements was often bullied for her weight, with peers calling her names such as “fatso” or “chubby.”
In a bid to seek comfort, she turned to eating sugary and fatty foods, such as crisps and chocolate, whereas as an adult, the unhealthy habit continued.
At her heaviest, she weighed 22st 8lbs and sadly, suffered four miscarriages as a result of her size.
Then, in October 2020, the 33-year-old forked out £11,500 on gastric bypass surgery, now weighing 10st 5lbs – and has welcomed her first child after years of heartbreak.
“I remember going for fertility tests and the specialist told me: ‘If you don’t lose weight, you’ll struggle to have a baby,’” the support worker, from Swindon, told Jam Press.
“It made me think about my way of life and I quickly realised that if I didn’t lose the weight, I’d never be able to have kids like I had always dreamed of.
“I was absolutely devastated each time I got pregnant and then found out I had miscarried, it left me helpless.
“It was either now or never – and I knew I couldn’t go back to my old ways.”
Before, Danielle used to “hide” in leggings and oversized tops, even while on holiday in scorching hot weather.
While she had tried diets previously, such as Slimming World and Weight Watchers, she found that when she stopped, the pounds would pile back on.
Then, in November 2017, she met her husband, Adam, 35, who also shared a love of eating takeaways, frozen pizzas and salty snacks.
With her dream of becoming a mum seeming further away, she decided to take action when an advert for gastric bypass surgery popped up on her social media.
She said: “I researched the surgery and although I was nervous, I knew I had to do it – I had no other options left.
“I focused on how this could change my life for the better and after a few weeks of recovery, I felt incredible.
“To keep the weight off, I started adding more protein and greens into my diet and before I knew it, I was the lightest I had ever been.”
At her lowest, Danielle weighed 10st 5lbs and was a dress size 14.
Quickly, the pair started trying for a baby once again and were overjoyed when a few weeks later they received a positive pregnancy test.
Danielle said: “I was happy, but also in disbelief.
“I couldn’t believe it, but because of my previous miscarriages, I wanted to wait until the seven-week scan before getting excited.”
Then, on 9 January 2022, little Leo entered the world, which the mum called a “surreal” moment – and she’s pregnant again with their second child.
Now, she’s the healthiest she’s ever been and is able to run around with her child, as well as finding daily tasks becoming easier.
She added: “I couldn’t believe that after yearning for so long to be a mum, I was finally one.
“I never thought this could be my reality, but surgery and weight loss has given me my dream life.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done and it’s saved me – both physically and mentally.
“Until I lost weight, I didn’t realise how much effort everything was.
“My advice to anyone trying to shift the pounds is to just do it.
“It is hard and there’s a lot of time and determination involved, but once you change your mindset, you can change your life.”
DIET BREAKDOWN:
BEFORE:
Breakfast: Toast
Lunch: Sandwiches, crisps and chocolate bars
Dinner: Takeaways or microwave dinners
Snacks: Crisps or chocolate bars
AFTER:
Breakfast: Shredded Wheat
Lunch: Sandwich and fruit
Dinner: Healthy, home cooked meals with lots of vegetables
Snacks: Light cheese or cooked slices of lean meat
