Mum sheds 6st WITHOUT ditching any treats after piling on pounds after miscarriage trauma

Hayley Cook, from Didcot, Oxfordshire, was so unhappy with how she looked on her wedding day that she had to be persuaded to even book a photographer.

She married husband Andy shortly after suffering two miscarriages which resulted in her turning to food for comfort.

“Shortly after meeting Andy, I fell pregnant," she said.

"While it all happened very quickly, we were over the moon to be starting a family together. Sadly though, I went on to have a miscarriage.

"We then had another miscarriage the following year and I was in such a low place that I turned to food for comfort and my weight just went up and up."

Later that year, the couple got engaged and Hayley turned her attention to planning the wedding.

"After buying my wedding dress and setting a date, I found out shortly afterwards that I was pregnant again.

"Although the due date was just a few months before the wedding we decided to go ahead with our plans – we were just so happy to be expecting again."

Hayley, now 30, gave birth to daughter Kaycie in May 2016 and got married a couple of months later.

Although she enjoyed her wedding day, she says that she hates any pictures she has of the day.

"I just felt so uncomfortable with my body. I’d struggled with my weight for years and I just couldn’t face the thought of posing for professional photographs.

"With a new baby and a lovely new husband I should have felt on top of the world, but my weight was always a big insecurity for me.”

The following year, she found out that she was pregnant again – this time with Archie.

During both pregnancies, she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes – a type of diabetes that comes on during pregnancy.

What is gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy and usually disappears after giving birth.

It can occur at any stage of pregnancy, but is more common in the second half.

You're most at risk of it if you're overweight, you've had a baby previously which was born weighing over 10lbs, you've got a family history of diabetes of you're of Asian, Chinese, Afro-Caribbean or Middle Eastern heritage.

Symptoms include:

• increased thirst
• needing to pee more often than usual
• a dry mouth
• tiredness

While those signs can sometimes simply be things you experience during the course of pregnancy anyway and not necessarily signs of diabetes, they're worth flagging to your midwife anyway.

Gestational diabetes can cause:

• your baby to grow larger than normal, leading to delivery difficulties
• polyhydramnios – too much amniotic fluid, which can cause premature labour
• pre-eclampsia
• jaundice
• stillbirth (although that is very rare)

Gestational diabetes also puts you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future.

“During both pregnancies I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which meant I had to follow a strict diet and take medication to control it.

"With Archie it was even more severe, and I had to inject insulin daily. After he was born I was told that there’s a risk that women who have gestational diabetes will go on to develop Type 2 diabetes, although the chances were greatly reduced by eating healthily and exercising more.

“It was a bit of a wake-up call for me and at that moment I knew I had to start looking after myself properly. My weight was threatening my health and beginning to impact on my day-to-day life and that wasn’t the type of mum I wanted to be.

"It was getting to the stage where I didn’t want to go swimming because I felt so self-conscious in a swimsuit. We’d tried so hard to have a family and I wanted to make the most of every moment without worrying about my weight."

Hayley says that she'd tried Slimming World before and knew that it worked, but now she was determined to see through the course.

"This time my mindset was totally different and I was determined to make healthier changes not just for myself, but for my whole family.

"I was still surprised by how much I could actually eat though! As I was breastfeeding Archie at the time, my Consultant talked me through the best way to Food Optimise to make sure I got the extra nutrients and calcium I needed.

Hayley's diet before

Breakfast: Nothing

Mid-morning: A cup of tea and biscuits

Lunch: A baguette or sausage roll with crisps and a chocolate bar

Mid-afternoon: A cup of tea and a slice of cake

Dinner: A takeaway or creamy macaroni cheese

Evening: A few bars of chocolate

“In the past I’ve tried every diet under the sun – from soups and shakes to juices and even surviving on just eggs and grapefruit! The brilliant thing about Slimming World was that the eating plan focussed on healthy, filling, everyday foods that the whole family can enjoy – like our version of a healthy pizza – so I never feel like I’m missing out and the support you get at group is second-to-none.”

Losing the weight has helped Hayley discover a love for fitness that she previously hadn't uncovered.

“Before losing weight I used to think that I didn’t have time for exercise, but the truth was I just wasn’t very good at making myself a priority.

Hayley's diet after

Breakfast: Chopped fruit with fat-free yoghurt or a cooked breakfast at the weekend with grilled low-fat sausages, lean bacon, baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and poached eggs

Mid-morning: Fruit

Lunch: A homemade omelette, ham and egg salad or baked beans on wholemeal toast

Mid-morning: Fat-free yoghurt and a piece of fruit

Dinner: Slimming World burgers and homemade oven chips made with low-calorie cooking spray, homemade pizza or steak and chips

Evening: Hi-fibre cereal bar

"These days I’m more active than I have ever been in my adult life."

Last September, she took part in Sweatember – Cancer Research UK's 30-day exercise challenge.

"That encouraged me to try loads of different activities from badminton and running to cycling and swimming.

"I raised lots of money for Cancer Research UK but aside from that I realised that being active made me feel good, and in turn that made me a better version of myself."

She's now training for a mini-triathlon – something she would have never contemplated doing.

“I think sometimes mums can feel a bit guilty when it comes to taking time for themselves, but I actually think that hour of exercise, or taking the time to attend my Slimming World group is really good for me and my family.

"Everyone in my group is so supportive, and I always come away with new recipe ideas! My next goal is to compete in a mini triathlon, which is something I thought I’d never say.

"We’ve just welcomed a new puppy into the household too, so she keeps us busy and needs plenty of long walks.

"I just feel full of life now and can’t wait to enjoy making more fun memories with my family.”

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