I lost 6st... then came a surprise pregnancy

Emma, 42, shares weight loss journey and her miracle baby

- BY SARAH INGRAM

SHE had tried to lose weight for years without success. But after a catastrophic knee injury left her unable to exercise, Irishwoman Emma Dennison decided it was time to give up.

Emma, 42, weighed more than 20 stone and as her size grew, her self-esteem shrank.

"I wasn't always big. I was a bit heavier in school, but I stayed active through university," she says. "Then in 2006, I completely blew out my knee. I was in a full cast for eight months. That's when the weight started creeping on.

"It wasn't that I was eating junk all day - 1 just ate too much. And food became my comfort when life felt overwhelming.

"I didn't recognise myself in the mirror. I'd stopped shopping for clothes I liked. I always had to go to the 'fat shop', and even then, I hated everything. I stopped being in photos. I'd take a thousand of my kids and husband, but I'd avoid the camera."