Busy mum-of-two, 32, who lost a whopping 14st, shares ‘life-changing’ weight loss tips

A busy mother of two who has lost more than half her body weight shares her weight loss tips and the ‘little goals’ she sets for herself.

Danielle Hutchinson lost a whopping 14 sts after her daughter was told she was too heavy to fly in an air ambulance when she was rushed to hospital.

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The busy mother of two says she’s been overweight her entire adult life, weighing 350 pounds and wearing a size 12.

Danielle, 32, was banned from riding roller coasters and had to ask for seat belt extenders on airplanes because she is obese.

But it was during a family emergency in December 2022 that she reached a turning point and decided to make drastic changes to her lifestyle.

Danielle’s four-year-old daughter Nevaeh was unable to breathe during an asthma attack. Doctors decided to send an air ambulance to fly her to a specialized hospital.

The crew asked Danielle about her weight beforehand to ensure she could fly with her daughter.

However, the mother of two was left “heartbroken” when she was told it would be too dangerous to accompany Nevaeh in the helicopter due to her weight and she would have to be driven to the hospital instead.

Danielle, who lives in Norwich, Connecticut, US, said this moment was her turning point and encouraged her to shed some pounds and change her diet.

The child therapist used injections to lose weight for the first six months, then focused solely on diet and exercise for the next year until she lost a whopping 200 pounds.

Danielle now weighs 57kg and wears a size 38 (UK size 39) and doesn’t recognise herself as she used to.

‘A TURNING POINT’

Danielle said: “I’ve been overweight my entire adult life. I’ve never really made myself a priority, I’ve always made my children a priority.

“But when I couldn’t be there when my daughter was in distress in the helicopter, I realized while I was riding that if I didn’t put myself first, I couldn’t put my children first either.

“My daughter has asthma and she had an incident. We really don’t know what caused it, she just had real trouble breathing.

“They wanted her to be taken to hospital as soon as possible, but the nearest regular hospital did not have the necessary equipment, so they had to fly to this specific hospital.

“Before they arrived, they told me there was a weight restriction on the helicopter. They made me stand on the scale and said that the combination of my weight, the pilot’s weight and the medical staff’s weight was too heavy and too dangerous.

“It was really a shock. My husband had to stay with my son and my daughter had to go alone in the helicopter.

“It was a real turning point. It was heartbreaking for me to see her fly away on her own.”

‘SMALL GOALS’

Instead of her usual coping mechanism of eating, Danielle spent the next few months focusing solely on changing her diet and lifestyle.

Danielle said: “I stayed with her in the hospital for a week and when we got home I took everything out of the fridge and started researching healthier eating habits.

“I saw results pretty quickly. I started making small changes, like every morning on my way to work, where I normally would have breakfast, but now I would make a healthier breakfast at home.

“I cut soda out of my diet, reduced portion sizes, and increased my step count. I tried to do one thing at a time. I set small, achievable goals so I could actually see progress.”

Not only did Danielle lose hundreds of pounds over the next year, she also made other gains in her life—besides the plummeting numbers on the scale.

Danielle said: “I woke up and thought about food. It was so liberating to not be so fixated on food anymore.

“I continued to see non-scale victories through my weight loss. One of my most memorable was when one of my children gave me a hug and her hands were able to touch behind my back.

“I couldn’t go on roller coasters at amusement parks, I needed a seat belt extender on airplanes, I could never cross my legs and now I can. I still experience these things every day.

“It’s hard to believe how far I’ve come. I still get shocked when I walk past a store mirror.”

Danielle also began sharing her weight loss journey on TikTok, where she amassed a large audience of 130,000 followers. She documented meal prep ideas and at-home workouts to motivate others.

HELPING HAND

The mother’s massive weight loss has left her with about 10 pounds of loose skin around her abdomen. The surgery to remove this skin costs $9,000.

Danielle said: “I want to have the loose skin on my stomach removed. My insurance has turned me down three times.

“I have been prescribed medication for the rash I get from it.

“It’s very uncomfortable and gets in the way when I exercise. And it doesn’t look attractive.

“I hope I can raise as much money as possible to pay for the operation.”

Here you can make a donation to Danielle’s fundraiser.

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