WHEN a doctor agreed her obesity was likely a factor in her recent miscarriage, Lori-Jay Clark hit rock bottom.
All the 28-year-old teaching assistant had dreamed of was becoming a mum and it was the second baby she had lost in the space of four years.
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She says: In that instant I knew enough was enough.
I was emotionally drained, tired of blaming myself for being obese but not doing anything about it.
The ultimate goal in life for my husband Jimmy and I was to be parents, but I was so unhealthy I knew I couldnt bring a child into the world, mentally or physically. I had to change my ways.
And she did, shedding 9st to go from 20st and a size 22 to 11st and a size 10.
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Lori-Jay, from Hundon, Suffolk, says: Food ruled my life. Id have takeaways four times a week, and order things like a pizza plus a chicken burger, eating till I felt sick.
Deep down, I was furious at myself for sabotaging my chances of being a mum, but I just couldnt stop.
Obesity during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage and comes with a one in five chance of losing the baby before 12 weeks.
Lori-Jays overeating began when she was a child, and by age 14 she was 12st and size 14.
She says: I was picked on at school. The boys would say, Dont sit on that, youll break it, and call me fat.
It made me feel worthless, and I turned to food for comfort.
In 2012, Lori-Jay met Jimmy, 30, a bricklayer, at a nightclub.
She says: He wasnt bothered about my weight and would tell me I was beautiful.
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Lori-Jay's diet
Lori- Jay's diet before:
BREAKFAST: 4 slices of toast
LUNCH: Sandwiches, toast
DINNER: Takeaway, pizzas, burgers or ready meals
SNACKS: Biscuits, choc
Lori- Jay's diet now:
BREAKFAST: Fruit & yoghurt
LUNCH: Tuna salad
DINNER: Fakeaways homemade KFC or burger & chips
SNACKS: Quiche, gherkins
But despite being in love and happy with Jimmy, I still couldnt stop overeating.
Wed spend around 100 a week on takeaways, and get through a load of chocolate and crisps while cuddled up on the sofa watching TV.
The couple then started to try for the baby they dreamed of.
Lori-Jay says: When I discovered I was pregnant in May 2016, the feeling was out of this world, I was so happy.
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But a few days after I did the pregnancy test, I started bleeding.
I was rushed to hospital, where scans revealed I had an ectopic pregnancy a fertilised egg had implanted in one of my fallopian tubes.
I needed an operation to urgently remove the egg and tube, which doctors explained could make it harder for me to conceive in future.
Following that shock, the couple took a break from trying for a baby. But when they married the following year, they decided to try again.
In March 2018 though, Lori-Jay suffered a miscarriage at around eight weeks.
She says: I was heartbroken. Wed got so close to having our dream baby, only for the dream to be taken away from us.
Again, Lori-Jay turned to food for comfort.
Id eat till I felt sick, then the guilt and shame would set in, she says. It was a vicious cycle and I lost all confidence in myself.
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Id make excuses to avoid friends, and hide in the street if I saw someone I knew.
The following April, Lori-Jay had another miscarriage at around eight weeks. She says: Deep down, I always blamed myself.
And after going for a check-up, the doctor agreed that I needed to lose weight to be in the best position to carry a baby full-term. That was the wake-up call.
So, in June 2019, Lori-Jay joined a Slimming World group with Jimmy, who by then also weighed 20st.
In the first week I lost 13.5lb, which spurred me on, she says.
We swapped fast food for home-cooked fakeaways and salads and I started attending circuit training classes four times a week.
Lori-Jay now weighs 11st, while Jimmy has dropped to 16st, and doctors have told the couple they have a much better chance of becoming parents.
She says: When I saw that I got to my target weight, I cried. Im so excited for the future.
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Just getting up in the morning was a struggle before because Id feel sluggish.
Now I have so much energy. Jimmy and I are so excited to start trying for a baby again.
I feel like at last our dream of becoming parents is within our grasp.
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After two miscarriages I gave up comfort food and lost nine stone to fulfil my dream of becoming a mum - The Sun
