{"id":12235,"date":"2025-04-02T11:32:27","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T10:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/?p=12235"},"modified":"2025-04-02T11:35:42","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T10:35:42","slug":"gemma-hardy-race-for-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/gemma-hardy-race-for-life\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cRunning Race for Life with my girls is\u00a0one of my proudest achievements\u201d\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Walking down the aisle with my dad was an amazing moment. I\u2019d lost 3st 3\u00bdlbs (21kg) with Slimming World and felt beautiful and confident as all eyes turned towards us. However, behind my smile was a niggling worry about my dad\u2019s health as, just a few weeks before, he\u2019d been diagnosed with cancer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So much of my life had been affected by my weight \u2013 and I\u2019d finally managed to do something about it. I\u2019d improved my own health so much, but there was nothing I could do to help Dad.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even the day that my now-husband, Jas, proposed, had been slightly spoilt. While on holiday on the Isle of Wight, he\u2019d planned a special trip to see The Needles rock formation \u2013 but I\u2019d struggled with the walk and complained the whole way. I felt so guilty when he got down on one knee. I said yes, of course, but I couldn\u2019t get excited because I was worrying so much about being the centre of attention. That was when I knew I needed to make a change if I was going to have the wedding day I\u2019d always wanted. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Feel<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Full of motivation, I joined a gym and tried to lose weight by myself, but I wasn\u2019t seeing much progress. Nothing else that I\u2019d tried in the past had worked either, as I\u2019d always felt hungry and deprived, which led to a binge. Scrolling through social media, I saw the success that other people had achieved with Slimming World and decided to give it a go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was so scared walking into group for the first time \u2013 I was shaking like a leaf! But it was honestly the best thing I\u2019ve ever done. Everyone was so friendly, and I remember being blown away by the support in the room. That\u2019s been key for me \u2013 the support network you get when you join Slimming World really is unlike anything else.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning about the healthy eating plan was so surprising. I could hardly believe I could eat such generous amounts of the foods that I enjoyed and still lose weight! My Consultant helped me to look closely at my eating habits and the healthy swaps I could make. For example, I work as a waitress, and previously I\u2019d drink glass after glass of fizzy pop to keep me going. Swapping to sugar-free was a small, easy change that made a big difference to my weight loss.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also used to rely heavily\u00a0on takeaways and convenience foods, so a big part of my journey has been learning to cook. This has been a hugely positive change for my family.\u00a0Jas and I have two girls, Maisie and Amelia, so what I make has to work for everyone. During the week I choose quick, simple recipes like Cajun chicken pasta, steak and chips or risotto, and at weekends we enjoy fakeaways like burgers, chicken kebabs or fajitas.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"see<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I lost more than 3st in time for my wedding \u2013 I\u2019ve gone\u00a0from a dress size 16 to an 8. I have so much more confidence and I now run my own group as a Slimming World Consultant<\/a>.\u00a0I want to share that amazing feeling with others and help them experience\u00a0life-changing results.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as changing my relationship with food, Slimming World has helped me to embrace exercise through the Body Magic activity support programme. As a family, we\u2019re so much more active \u2013 we ride our bikes and run together. One of my proudest moments is running the 10K Race for Life with my girls, now aged 13 and 11, to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. I am forever grateful that my dad is still with us, and this was one way that I could support the amazing life-saving work that they do. I was so emotional as we crossed the finish line, and I\u2019ll never forget that sense of pride and accomplishment.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save on your Race for Life entry fee with Slimming World<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best thing about Slimming World is that it\u2019s for everyone \u2013 so if you\u2019re reading this and worrying about a special occasion you have coming up, or your weight is holding you back in any way, I\u2019d say give your local Consultant a ring<\/a> or just turn up to group. Give it a go and see for yourself. If you\u2019re anything like me, you\u2019ll have nothing to lose and a whole new amazing life to gain!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the first step to a fitter, healthier you<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you join Slimming World, you\u2019ll gain access to our full Body Magic tool kit. It has everything you need to level up your activity, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n