‘I lost more than five stone at 45 after ditching a common diet trap many people fall into’

She had lost all her confidence and could barely make it to the gym as her anxiety became increasingly debilitating.

Fortunately, this changed when she met her personal trainer Chloe, who advised against strict calorie deficit and recommended healthier lifestyle tweaks.

Gemma aimed for an intake of 1,700 to 2000 calories over the 1.5-year period that she worked with Chloe, as this number seemed most sustainable.

Together, the pair established a workout regimen consisting of strength training four to five times a week.

Not only did this help tackle many of the symptoms Gemma struggled with, but it improved her strength drastically.

“The mistakes so many women make is they retract themselves too much so it is not maintainable and they give up," she warned.

“It’s not just about losing fat but changing my mindset completely.

“I was seriously overweight, peri-menopausal and miserable with the way I looked.

“I have gone from binge eating and yo-yo dieting, punishing myself in the gym or massively undereating if I’ve had a bad weekend.”

The slimmer went on: “I [now realise] that life happens and drawing a line under a bad weekend, getting back on track with nutrition and exercise ASAP and understanding that my journey is all about balance.”

Noticing promising results within the first 12 weeks of working together encouraged Gemma to commit to a long-term plan with her trainer.

“We had made so much progress on those 12 weeks but felt like there was so much more we could achieve together," she explained.

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When Gemma's weight loss plateaued she adopted a strategy known as ‘reverse dieting’, where calories are slightly increased to prevent weight gain as you return to your previous calorie levels.

This post-diet eating method has been popular in the bodybuilding community as a way to prevent rapid weight gain after competitions.

It helps Gemma lose weight faster by restricting her food intake massively. It can be tricky to undertake without professional guidance, however.

WebMD reminds slimmers that it is better to lose weight gradually as it's less likely to pile back on. The academy advises aiming to lose between one and two pounds per week and avoiding fad diets.