"Hopeless" is the word mum-of-two Gemma Bailey used to describe herself after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2018.
The condition causes widespread pain and extreme tiredness, as well as a list of other symptoms, and the 37-year-old said she struggled to keep up with her two young boys, Ethan and Daniel. Everyday activities such as going for a walk or a trip to the park became a challenge for Gemma and she would often experience pain in her knees.
Gemma, from West Pelton, County Durham, said: "I had to keep stopping as I was out of breath or my knees were hurting and I turned to food even more, just to cope with how I was feeling. It genuinely made me feel quite hopeless."
As she turned to food, Gemma often found herself snacking on chocolate biscuits at two and three in the morning before indulging in a fried breakfast when she woke up. She felt as though she was eating constantly and as a result witnessed her figure fluctuate to a size 22, putting an even greater strain on her mental and physical health.
Gemma added: "We could easily get through four takeaways in a week. To some people that might sound excessive but for me I would never, ever feel full and I would go to this type of food for a quick fix of comfort."
But in February 2021, when her weight reached 18st 10lbs, she decided to join Slimming World despite feeling like she had been on a diet since she was a teenager. And now she has dropped four dress sizes and lost over four-and-a-half-stone.
Gemma said: "Like many people I feel like I've been on a diet constantly since my teenager years. I've never been smaller than a size 16 and even called myself the 'chubby, big boned one'.
"As the years passed despite always trying cut back to lose weight, I felt like I just got bigger. I settled down with my partner Craig, and we had our two boys Ethan and Daniel. What I realised was I turned to food when faced with a whole range of emotions and life situations."
She added: "I'm learning things about myself all the time. Things like, my emotions can steer me in the wrong direction, and things about food!"
Gemma said it's not just her weight loss and her relationship with food that's changed, her health has also improved. She said: "For Mother's Day last year, my boys got me a bike.
"I used to love cycling when I was younger and as my partner and sons have bikes, it was a great way to spend time as a family. I even taught my oldest how to ride his. I won't lie, I felt self-conscious at first as if everybody was staring at me but as soon as I put my headphones in I was away.
"The cycling was so good for my mental health living where we live the wildlife and area is beautiful. I now cycle two to three times a week and recently did a Charity cycle ride for Cancer Research UK raising £130."
She added: "If it wasn't for joining Slimming World, I would never have had the confidence to do the Charity ride. I also have the confidence to try clothes on in a shop now, whereas before I'd just buy and hope they fit when I got home and on top of all of that my fibromyalgia symptoms have improved since I lost weight.
"I feel I have learned so much since I joined and gained so much, all while losing weight. The things I never thought I could do. I will never go back to how I was before, it's too important to me and my family."
Slimming World say that Gemma's original struggle to lose weight is not uncommon as millions of people in the UK are struggling to manage their weight, with serious health implications for themselves.
They added that research from the University of Leeds has shown that when it comes to losing weight, some people face more of an uphill struggle than others because they have a 'low satiety response'. Therefore, people find it harder to satisfy their appetite than others, have weaker satiety signals, and take longer to feel full when eating – which puts them at risk of consuming more calories than they need.
The study led by Dr Nicola Buckland found that those people who have weaker satiety signals find it especially difficult to follow a restrictive or calorie-counted diet plan, so find it harder to lose weight on that kind of programme. However, Slimming World say that there is some good news as the research also shows that choosing certain types of food – foods lower in energy density (or calories per gram) – can help people with a low satiety response feel more in control of their appetite – and protect them from the risk of over-consuming calories, making it easier to lose weight.
Dr Jacquie Lavin, head of research and scientific affairs at Slimming World, who contributed to the Leeds University study, said: "Slimming World's Food Optimising plan has always been based on an understanding of how the macronutrient content and energy density of foods affect satiation and satiety and we've been actively involved in research in this area for nearly 30 years.
"We've been building on evidence that filling up on low energy dense foods naturally limits energy intake, reduces hunger and results in better weight loss, and weight maintenance. In our eating plan, those foods lowest in energy density are designated as Free Foods, and we encourage our members to eat them freely to satisfy their appetite – however big their appetite is.
"It's important to recognise that any dietary approach to weight management has limited effects in isolation. However, when it's achieved hand in hand with a multi-component group-based support programme like Slimming World's which empowers slimmers to make deep-seated shifts in their mindset, and their behaviour around food and activity, they're more likely to achieve and maintain their weight loss goals in the long term."
