Busy mum-of-two, 32, who lost staggering 14st shares ‘life-changing’ weight loss tips
A BUSY-mum-of-two who shed more than half her body weight has shared her weight loss tips and the ‘small goals’ she set herself.
Danielle Hutchinson lost a whopping 14st after being told she was too heavy to ride in an emergency helicopter when her daughter was rushed to hospital.
The busy mum-of-two said she’d been overweight her whole adult life – weighing 23 stones and wearing a size 26.
Danielle, 32, was denied entry on roller coaster rides and forced to request seat belt extenders on air-planes due to being obese.
However, it was during a family emergency in December 2022 that she reached a turning point and decided to make a drastic lifestyle change.
Danielle’s four-year-old daughter Nevaeh was unable to breathe during an asthma attack and medics decided to send out an air ambulance to fly her to a specialist hospital.
The crew asked Danielle’s weight in advance to ensure she was able to travel with her daughter on the flight.
However, the mum-of-two was “heartbroken” when she was informed her weight meant it would be too dangerous to accompany Nevaeh on the helicopter – and she would have to drive to the hospital instead.
Danielle, who lives in Norwich, Connecticut, US, said this moment was her turning point to shed some pounds and overhauled her diet over the following weeks.
The child therapist used weight-loss injections for the first six months before relying solely on diet and exercise for the following year until she lost an incredible 200lbs.
Now weighing in at 125lbs and wearing size four clothing, Danielle said she does not recognise the person she used to be.
‘A TURNING POINT’
Danielle said: “I’ve been overweight pretty much all my adult life. I never really put myself as a priority, I always put my kids as a priority.
“But when I couldn’t be with my daughter during her hour of need in the helicopter, I kind of had the realisation when I was driving that if I don’t start putting myself first, I can’t make my kids a priority either.
“My daughter has asthma and she had an incident. We really don’t know what caused it, she was just having real trouble breathing.
“They wanted her to get to hospital as fast as she could but didn’t have the machines they needed at our nearest, regular hospital so they needed her to fly to this specific hospital.
“Before they arrived, they told me there was a weight restriction in the helicopter so they had me go on the scales and they told me the combination of my weight, the pilot and the medical personnel was too much and too dangerous.
“It was really a shock. My husband had to stay with my son and my daughter had to go by herself in the helicopter.
“It was a real turning point. It was heartbreaking for me to watch her fly away on her own.”
‘SMALL GOALS’
Instead of turning to her usual coping mechanism of food, Danielle said altering her diet and lifestyle became her sole focus over the following few months.
Danielle said: “I stayed with her at the hospital for the week and when we got home, I took everything out of the fridge and began researching healthier eating habits.
“I saw results pretty quickly. I began making little changes like every morning on the way to work I would usually grab breakfast but now I was making healthier breakfast at home.
“I was cutting out soda from my diet, reducing portion size and upping my step count. I was trying to do one thing at a time. I set myself small, achievable goals so I could actually see progress.”
Danielle's diet tips
DANIELLE shared what a typical day of eating would look like before and after her weight loss journey.
Diet before weight loss
- Breakfast: Bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, coffee with a lot of sugar
- Lunch: Pizza, pasta or McDonald’s
- Dinner: Pasta, noodles
- Snacks: Crisps, sweets
Current diet
- Breakfast: Protein coffee
- Lunch: Protein and vegetables
- Dinner: Protein and vegetables
- Snacks: Eggs, nuts, sugar-free pudding, protein ice cream
As well as losing hundreds of pounds over the following year, Danielle began seeing non-scale victories in her life too.
Danielle said: “I used to wake up and think about food. It was so freeing to stop being as fixated on food.
“I kept seeing non-scale victories through my weight loss. One of my most memorable ones was when one of my kids gave me a hug and her hands were able to touch each other behind my back.
“I wasn’t able to ride roller coasters at amusement parks, I needed a seat belt extender on airplanes, I wasn’t ever able to cross my legs and now I can. I’m still noticing things like this every day.
“It’s hard to believe how far I’ve come. I still get shocked when I walk past a shop mirror.”
Danielle also began sharing her weight loss journey on TikTok, amassing a huge audience of 130,000 followers where she documents meal prep ideas and home workouts to motivate others.
HELPING HAND
The mum’s incredible weight loss has left her with around 10lbs of loose skin around her stomach, which will cost $9,000 to remove during surgery.
Danielle said: “I’m looking to get the loose skin removed on my abdomen. I’ve been denied three times by my insurance.
“I’ve been prescribed medication for the rashes I’m getting because of it.
How to lose weight safely
Losing weight should be a long-term commitment to healthier living, rather than any drastic measures.
The NHS tips – which can be adopted slowly – include:
- Get active for 150 minutes a week – you can break this up into shorter sessions
- Aim to get your 5 A Day – 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit or vegetables count as 1 portion
- Aim to lose 1 to 2lbs, or 0.5 to 1kg, a week
- Read food labels – products with more green colour coding than amber and red are often a healthier option
- Swap sugary drinks for water – if you do not like the taste, add slices of lemon or lime for flavour
- Cut down on food that’s high in sugar and fat – start by swapping sugary cereal for wholegrain alternatives
- Share your weight loss plan with someone you trust – they can help motivate you when you have a bad day
Read about:
- The five fat loss foundations
- The calorie formula for weight loss
- The perfect portion sizes for meals to lose weight
- Sun Health’s 8-week weight loss kick start plan
“It’s very uncomfortable and in the way when I exercise. And the way it looks isn’t appealing.
“I’m hoping I can raise what I can to help pay for the surgery.”
You can donate to Danielle’s fundraiser here.