HAVING struggled to lose weight for years, it was a simple diet change that finally helped Emma Dennison to shed the pounds.
But with her huge weight loss came a big surprise – hiding under her loose skin.
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Emma had tried to lose weight for years without success.
And after a catastrophic knee injury left her unable to exercise, she decided it was time to give up.
The 42-year-old weighed more than 20 stone, and as her size grew, her self-esteem shrank.
“I wasn’t always big. I was a bit heavier in school, but I stayed active through university,” she said.
“Then in 2006, I completely blew out my knee. I was in a full cast for eight months. That’s when the weight started creeping on.
“It wasn’t that I was eating junk all day – I just ate too much. And food became my comfort when life felt overwhelming.
“I didn’t recognise myself in the mirror. I’d stopped shopping for clothes I liked. I always had to go to the ‘fat shop,’ and even then, I hated everything. I stopped being in photos. I’d take a thousand of my kids and husband, but I’d avoid the camera.”
Emma is a full-time sheep farmer and mum to Henry, now ten, and Thomas, 8.
Her life never slowed down and she struggled with emotional eating and portion control.
When Emma and her husband Mervyn, from Tipperary, Ireland, began trying for a third baby, she didn’t suspect her weight might be a factor.
She said: “All my hormone levels were fine, but we tried for two years and nothing happened. Eventually, I just said, ‘That’s it. We’ve got two beautiful boys. It’s not meant to be.’”
With the baby dream put to rest, Emma decided it was finally time to focus on her health and gave the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan a go, a programme that mixes meal replacements and normal food with consultant support.
Starting the plan in September 2021, Emma steadily lost weight.
She said: “By May, I was down nearly six stone. Then the scales stopped moving. I was confused. Until that point, I had been consistently losing weight.”
THEN CAME A SURPRISE…
“One night, just for the craic, I took a pregnancy test. I was sure it would be negative… but it wasn’t,” she recalled.
“I was sitting on the toilet at half eleven at night, staring at it thinking, ‘Oh my God. I’m pregnant.’ I didn’t want to wake Mervyn so I lay awake half the night thinking about how I would tell him.”
When she saw the doctor the next day, the news got even more shocking.
“He said, ‘Emma, you’re not just pregnant – you’re already 15 weeks along.’ The weight loss had hidden my bump under loose skin”, she says. Her third pregnancy, Emma says, was worlds apart from her previous two.
“I had no Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction. I was active right up to the end. Two days before my C-section, I was shearing sheep. I honestly believe losing weight made the difference. I felt strong and capable for the first time in years.”
After giving birth to her miracle baby Alistair two years ago, Emma focused on expressing milk, a goal she hadn’t achieved with her older sons.
“I was constantly hungry while expressing. A lot of the weight went back on, but I didn’t panic. I knew I had a plan,” she said.
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She returned to the 1:1 Diet in May 2023, and by December had lost the additional weight, reaching a total loss of eight stone.
Emma now fluctuates comfortably between a size 12 and 14.
She said: “Size 10 doesn’t suit me. I’m curvy and that’s okay. I’m in my 40s now, not my 20s. I want to be healthy, strong, and confident.”
One of the biggest changes came when she began to love fashion again.
She said: “I remember walking into a shop and picking up a top, knowing it would fit. I sat in the car afterwards and cried. That was a freedom I hadn’t felt in years.”
Since then, Emma has become a 1:1 consultant herself, training up while on maternity leave so she can help others see a similar transformation.
And her proudest moment came when she completed Couch to 5k – something her 14-year-old self never imagined.
She said: “I was forced to run a 1,500m race in school. I came dead last – and I mean a long way last. People laughed. When I hit 5k, I thought, ‘Up yours’ to every single one of them.
“Losing weight gave me back my fertility, my health, my confidence and my identity. And I no longer hide from the camera.”
The NHS 12-step plan to help you lose weight
FROM faddy diets to dodgy detoxes – most of us have heard it all before when it comes to weight loss.
But burning fat can be easy and mostly free.
In fact, the NHS has a whole load of medically-approved tips for weight loss and shedding body fat once and for all…
- Don’t skip breakfast
Skipping breakfast will not help you lose weight. You could miss out on essential nutrients and you may end up snacking more throughout the day because you feel hungry. - Eat regular meals
Eating at regular times during the day helps burn calories at a faster rate. It also reduces the temptation to snack on foods high in fat and sugar. - Eat plenty of fruit and veg
Fruit and veg are low in calories and fat, and high in fibre – 3 essential ingredients for successful weight loss. They also contain plenty of vitamins and minerals. - Get more active
Being active is key to losing weight and keeping it off. As well as providing lots of health benefits, exercise can help burn off the excess calories you cannot lose through diet alone. - Drink lots of water
People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. You can end up consuming extra calories when a glass of water is really what you need. - Eat high fibre foods
Foods containing lots of fibre can help keep you feeling full, which is perfect for losing weight. Fibre is only found in food from plants, such as fruit and veg, oats, wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta, and beans, peas and lentils. - Read food labels
Knowing how to read food labels can help you choose healthier options. Use the calorie information to work out how a particular food fits into your daily calorie allowance on the weight loss plan. - Use a smaller plate
Using smaller plates can help you eat smaller portions. By using smaller plates and bowls, you may be able to gradually get used to eating smaller portions without going hungry. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain it’s full, so eat slowly and stop eating before you feel full. - Don’t ban foods
Do not ban any foods from your weight loss plan, especially the ones you like. Banning foods will only make you crave them more. There’s no reason you cannot enjoy the occasional treat as long as you stay within your daily calorie allowance. - Don’t stock junk food
To avoid temptation, do not stock junk food – such as chocolate, biscuits, crisps and sweet fizzy drinks – at home. Instead, opt for healthy snacks, such as fruit, unsalted rice cakes, oat cakes, unsalted or unsweetened popcorn, and fruit juice. - Cut down on alcohol
A standard glass of wine can contain as many calories as a piece of chocolate. Over time, drinking too much can easily contribute to weight gain. - Plan your meals
Try to plan your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the week, making sure you stick to your calorie allowance. You may find it helpful to make a weekly shopping list.