A woman preparing to open a new slimming group in Morecambe says she wants to inspire others.
Gemma Hooper, who has shed more than eight stones, will launch a new Slimming World group at Torrisholme Methodist Church on Saturday May 16, with sessions at 8am and 9.30am.
Gemma said: “I believed my weight defined who I was.
“It stopped me from living fully and from letting my light shine.”
After joining a local Slimming World group, she said: “I remember feeling accepted straight away.
“The shame I’d carried for so long just seemed to lift. I was surrounded by people who understood, who supported one another, and who didn’t judge.”
Over the following 11 months, Gemma lost more than eight stones, reaching her target weight of 11 stone in December 2025.
“Week by week, I didn’t just lose weight - I gained confidence, energy and belief in myself again,” she said.
“For the first time in a long time, I felt like me.
“I learned how to fill my plate with Free Foods, Speed Foods and Healthy Extras, and it completely changed how I think about eating.
“Staying to group every week kept me motivated. Listening to others, sharing experiences, and learning from my consultant and fellow members helped me through every stage. There’s so much compassion and understanding — it’s never about perfection, it’s about progress.
“I’ve learned that real change starts when you replace self-criticism with self-compassion.
“I’ve stopped hiding and started celebrating how far I’ve come. I’m more than a number on the scales — and that’s something I’ll carry with me for life.
“It feels incredibly special to now support others in the same kind of community that changed my life.
“I want people to walk through the doors and feel hope, not shame.”
Gemma said one of the keys to weight loss is feeling supported and accepted - and that includes people taking GLP-1 weight loss medication.
“What we’re hearing more and more is that weight loss medications aren’t designed to be used on their own,” she said.
“People still need ongoing support, practical guidance and encouragement to make healthy changes stick long term.
“My goal has always been to support anyone who wants help to lose weight, improve their health and feel happier in themselves."
Angela Frankland, who runs two local Slimming World groups covering Morecambe and Heysham at Stanley Road Church Hall and St John's Church Hall, has also said that weight-loss medications aren't the only answer.
Angela Frankland
“Lasting weight loss success comes from support, not medication alone,” said Angela, who has lost more than four stones.
“What we’re hearing more and more is that weight-loss medications aren’t designed to be used on their own. Everyone - from the World Health Organisation to governments – is agreed that people need ongoing, evidence-based support alongside them to really make changes stick.
“We know that it’s support that makes the difference – support to make practical and mindset changes, to build new habits, to develop strategies and resilience – so that people can achieve and hold on to their healthier, happier lives for good. And that’s exactly what members get each week in our groups."
Angela's sessions run every Monday at Stanley Road Church Hall in Morecambe at 5pm or at St John’s Church Hall in Heysham on Thursdays at 5:30pm.
Leading weight loss organisation Slimming World was founded by the late Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE in Derbyshire in 1969.
Their healthy eating plan, Food Optimising, is centred around ‘Free Foods’ – foods that are lower in energy density (meaning they have less calories per gram).
They support members taking weight loss drugs to build healthy habits around food and fitness, so the weight stays off long after the medication ends.
GLP-1s (Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) are medicines licensed to treat specific medical disorders and experts say they should only be used if you are overweight or diabetic, and not if you want to lose weight for aesthetic or cosmetic purposes.
They help people feel fuller by mimicking a natural hormone released after eating.
They are sometimes referred to as weight loss injections or 'skinny jabs'.
Find out more about the government guidance on GLP-1 HERE.
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