My Target Member Story – Jemima

I was always a happy young lady at a healthy weight, about 9.5 stone, until my first marriage then my life all changed. We were very happy together at first. Bought a place to live, got married then had my lovely son. Then slowly things began to change.

To cut a long story short it ended very violently and the divorce wasn't any easier. I suffered quite a lot of what they thought was depression and was drinking quite heavily. I found it hard to maintain any close relationships because of my issues, so I got some help. But the tablets and giving up drinking made it easy to gain weight. When my son started school full time it got better.

Mel (a group member) made me really welcome introducing me to a group of ladies. We are all still friends now. I got married to Stan, another person who attends group, and we had Jules. I still knew something was wrong with me personally though. The doctors kept telling me it was depression, giving me more tablets. But by this time, I was 16 stone and feeling very low indeed.

Me and Stan parted our separate ways as I couldn't be with anyone. The extra weight and depression made me push everyone away. I went to a counsellor who told me they didn't think it was depression. I then got referred to a mental health team who diagnosed me with a low mood disorder. I got put on various medications until it was under control. Me and Stan are best of friends and always will be, which is great for Jules.

Then when I could see life more clearly, I realised that I needed to fix the rest of me and that only I could do it. I joined Slimming World and lost 3 stone. I felt great! When Jules started school I got a job working in a school kitchen, but I had stopped going to Slimming World due to the hours I worked. Working with food was making it even harder. I gained a stone back over a year (so not overly bad) but definitely going in the wrong direction.

Because of this I joined Mandy-Lace’s Slimming World group and haven't looked back since. I've lost another 3 stone at this group getting me to target. I feel great and happy. I used to get a lot of pain in my joints which I now don't, and I don't take any medication for my low mood disorder anymore. I feel in control of my life and my disorder.

My personal journey to target has dealt with many issues in my life, most of which have been resolved. Now I am starting a new chapter to maintain my target and my new life. It will bring different challenges, but I feel that my experiences so far will enable me to live life as I would like it to be.