26/10/2026
A grandmother has shed five stone naturally to reclaim the everyday moments menopause took away. 👏
Emma, from Portsmouth, reached 13st 6lbs in September 2021, leaving the 5ft grandmother classed as obese and struggling to manage short walks.
Alongside dealing with the loss of her father, she faced severe menopause symptoms including hot flushes, low energy, and shifting moods.
Working previously as a school cook whilst bringing up her daughter, she spent years constantly surrounded by food whilst neglecting her own routine.
A typical day meant skipping breakfast, relying on meal deals and chocolate at lunch, and finishing the evening with frozen pizza, chips, or takeaway curries alongside w**e and share-size chocolate bars.
"I wasn’t looking after myself, I’d grab whatever was convenient," she said.
"Takeaway pizza, ice cream, chocolate and red w**e. Even though I cooked healthy meals for other people, I wasn’t taking care of me." 🍕
The extra weight put intense strain on her joints, making basic daily tasks and moving around on the floor with her two-year-old granddaughter Margo completely out of reach.
Without turning to weight-loss injections, she turned to her local Slimming World group, dropping 9lbs during her first four weeks.
She swapped the convenience takeaways for weekend batch-cooking, moving to overnight oats, jacket potatoes, and air-fryer roast chicken dinners.
Her husband Jamie joined the same weight-loss group in June 2024 to focus on his own health.
Now down to 8st 6lbs, Emma is pet sitting, walking regularly along the coast, cycling, and considering picking up tennis again. 🚲
"I can take her to the park, play on the equipment with her, go down the slide and run around soft play."
"If I was still carrying almost five extra stone, I wouldn't be able to do those things. Those moments are priceless." ❤️
