Nana who lost 5st during the menopause without turning to weight loss drugs says: “Weight loss is possible if you do this one thing”

Pet sitter Emma Artemiou, 51, from Portsmouth, weighed 13st 6lbs when she rejoined Slimming World in September 2021. Today, she weighs 8st 6lbs, has dropped from a size 16 to a size 8 and says she feels ‘25 again’.

Emma says weight gain, low energy, hot flushes, mood changes and grief following the loss of her father all combined to make losing weight feel harder than ever. She says: “Menopause hit me harder than I expected. Alongside hot sweats, mood changes and weight gain, I lost confidence and started struggling with brain fog. I used to remember absolutely everything, but suddenly I'd walk into a room and forget why I was there. The good news is that by making healthier lifestyle changes, those symptoms have improved enormously, and I feel much more in control again."

Emma says she found success by making one simple change: seeking support. She says: "I think a lot of women worry that once they reach menopause, losing weight just isn't possible anymore. Yet the biggest thing I've learned is that it is possible and, for me, it became much easier when I stopped trying to face it alone.

“I began to gain weight in my early 20s when life became busier and with my own income for the first time, takeaways and eating out became regular habits. Later, while working as a school cook and raising my daughter, Caitlin, who’s now 27, I was constantly surrounded by food and often eating at irregular times. I spent so much time looking after everyone else that my own needs fell to the bottom of the list.

“I underwent a hysterectomy at 37 due to endometriosis and, looking back, I believe that’s when my menopause journey began. At the time, I mistook many of my symptoms for grief after losing my dad in November 2020, and I got married just two weeks later. Working as a school cook during the pandemic, I was often alone preparing meals for the children of key workers. It was an emotional and stressful time and between grief, loneliness and menopause, my weight continued to increase, affecting both my physical and emotional wellbeing.

"I wasn't looking after myself," she says. "I'd grab whatever was convenient – takeaway pizza, ice cream, chocolate and red wine. Even though I cooked healthy meals for other people, I wasn't taking care of me.”

Emma adds: “The pain in my knees was incredible, even a short walk could leave me struggling and the thought of being active felt impossible. Everyday tasks became more difficult and I often felt tired and uncomfortable.

“I had to make a change and knowing Slimming World had helped me previously, I decided to return to a local group. I would say I’m a confident person, yet it took me three weeks to find the courage to walk through the door.”

Emma says: "I was so nervous, but my Consultant Lacey put me at ease straight away. In my first month I lost 9lbs and I was thrilled. It gave me hope that I really could do this and being part of the group gave me the tools, support and accountability I needed to succeed. The encouragement from other members was invaluable – we cheer each other on. By planning ahead and batch cooking every weekend, I stayed on track. I gradually became more active too as I was inspired by others in the group who were enjoying exercise, although I built this up at my own pace.”

Emma says support from her husband Jamie, who joined her Slimming World group in June 2024 to focus on his own health, has been instrumental to her success. She adds: “We got married in December 2020 two years after meeting each other. He’s my biggest cheerleader. He does a lot of the cooking when I'm running my groups in the evenings and he's right beside me every step of the way.”

Since losing weight, Emma says the changes have been life-changing: "The difference has been incredible. The pressure on my joints has reduced significantly, I have more energy, more confidence and a much more positive outlook on life. I feel healthier, stronger and more in control of my wellbeing than I have in years. I now enjoy regular walks by the sea, cycling with Jamie and I’m thinking about taking up tennis again – I used to love playing when I was 40.

“Most important of all, it’s the time I spend with my gorgeous two-year-old granddaughter, Margo, that means the most. Being able to get up and down off the floor with Margo is a huge win. 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."

Having experienced first-hand the positive impact of losing weight during menopause, Emma went on to become a Slimming World Consultant so she could help others overcome the same challenges. She now runs three groups in the Portsmouth area and uses her own experience to support women at this life stage. She says: "I tell women who come to my group and seek me out because I've been through it: 'I’m your girl. You can do it. You do have to work harder and fill up on protein, but the good news is, it is possible on Slimming World’s plan.”

The average age that women reach the menopause in the UK is 51, although this can vary and for some women it can be much earlier. For women experiencing symptoms, it can have a big impact on relationships, work and it can be especially challenging if you’re trying to lose weight.

The poll of 2,472 members who were either experiencing the perimenopause or had gone through the menopause showed that 79% successfully lost weight with Slimming World by making lifestyle changes. The most common symptoms reported were feeling tired or lacking in energy (51%), difficulty concentrating (38%), and difficulty sleeping (37%). The survey also found 85% of women said that in their experience, weight loss is more challenging during the perimenopause and after the menopause.

Emma Artemiou, 51

Starting weight: 13st 6lbs/ 85.3kg

Weight lost: 5st/ 31.8kg

Current weight: 8st 6lbs/ 53.5kg

Height: 5ft/ 1.52m

BEFORE

Breakfast: Often skipped

Lunch: Shop bought sandwich with crisps high in fat and salt, chocolate and a low calorie cola

Dinner: Frozen pizza with chips, homemade spaghetti Bolognaise, a rich béchamel sauce, full fat steak mince, and full-fat cheese or a takeaway curry

Dessert: Share-size bar of chocolate or ice cream

Snacks and drinks: 1-2 glasses of wine per evening, full fat crisps

AFTER

Breakfast: Overnight oats with plenty of fruit and low-fat yoghurt or Slimming World's full English breakfast (two slices of lean bacon with the fat trimmed off, Slimming World sausages, grilled tomatoes, spinach, two poached eggs and mushrooms – most items cooked in the air fryer)

Lunch: Jacket potato with salad, tuna and low-fat cheese or a lunch bowl such as Bang Bang Chicken and rice from the Slimming World Food Range at Iceland

Dinner: Slimming World roast chicken dinner with fresh vegetables and low-fat homemade gravy

Dessert: Sugar free jelly, low-fat yoghurt and fresh fruit or a low-fat mousse

Snacks and drinks: Fruit, high fibre cereal bar, water, de-caffeinated coffee, gin with slimline tonic

Emma Artemiou attends Lacey Moth’s North End Baptist Church group in Portsmouth on Tuesday evenings at 5.30pm. For more information or to find your nearest group, visit Slimming World. To find out more about Lacey’s groups, call 07931 690630.

[1] Data collated from an online poll in September 2023 of 2,472 Slimming World group and online members who were either experiencing the perimenopause, or who had already gone through the menopause