A glamorous grandmother who lost 70 pounds is sharing the secrets to her new body.
Personal trainer Emma Taylor, 45, tipped the scales at 197 pounds after her weight ballooned from a diet of fast food and sugary snacks.
But she didn’t even realize her body had changed so much at first.
Taylor, from the UK, said seeing a photo of her looking like a “barrel” at a party first inspired her to firm up and shed some pounds.
“I was instantly horrified and mortified — and knew I had to take control,” Taylor told SWNS of a time in her life when she was regularly eating two takeout meals a day, including McDonalds for lunch and a kebab for dinner.
“I was upset and I knew I had put on weight — but this was like a light bulb moment for me,” said Taylor, adding that when she began experiencing health issues she really knew something had to change.
The 5’1″ mom-of-five and grandmother-of-two eventually dropped five dress sizes through changing her eating habits and exercise routine — going from 197 pounds to 122 pounds.
“I was suffering with my breathing and couldn’t sleep at night,” she explains. “I had tried to lose weight before and tried various diets, I spent so much money on fad diets and I was always on the web looking for a quick fix.”
Taylor says she’d tried a variety of fad diets and exercises like Pilates and yoga but it hadn’t stuck, admitting: “I would have rather gone home and had a kebab.”
Determined to lose weight and regain her health, she enlisted the help of personal trainer Danni Taylor and boxing coach Mathew Bird, exercising 18 times a week.
Although it was challenging, she says it is “the best thing I’ve ever done.”
“They pushed me so hard but helped me to believe in myself,” she continues. “My body quickly started shrinking — even my feet.”
The fit nan says she didn’t set a particular goal for herself, saying her only goal was to be happy.
Her lifestyle change also inspired a career change. Previously she’d worked as a nail technician, saying she’d often order a McDonalds or portion of fish, chips and curry sauce from the local fish-and-chip shop.
However, after losing the weight and beginning her journey with exercise, she was inspired to quit her job and qualify as a personal trainer, setting up her own business, Taylor Made Fitness, where she encourages people to just be “consistent” with their healthy habits.
“It’s bizarre when I see pictures of myself now,” she says of her massive transformation. “I’m a changed person — my confidence has gone up so much.”
“My whole family have changed their lifestyles with me as well, so it’s not just a family affair — they’ve all been keeping fit with me,” she says.
Taylor’s diet before:
- Breakfast: A chocolate bar on the go
- Lunch: A sandwich filled with fries or McDonalds
- Snack: Chocolate bar or finish off what the kids had for dinner
- Dinner: Takeout — typically a kebab
Taylor’s diet now:
- Breakfast: Oats, berries and yogurt with honey
- Lunch: Chicken and avocado salad
- Snack: Rice cakes
- Dinner: Tuna with a side of veggies
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