A JOHNSTONE woman who is determined to lose weight has told how she bonded with her personal trainer over the death of their mums.

Elizabeth Callery contacted Jo Conlin, from Kilbarchan, after reading one of her Facebook posts which stressed the importance of healthy eating and exercise to deal with grief.

During their first meeting, they discovered each of them had recently lost their mum from illnesses related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and that, after the deaths, they had also struggled to look after their newborn babies.

Jo said: “Elizabeth contacted me after reading my Facebook post to say she was really struggling and felt there was no point in getting out of bed.

“We were discussing the depression and anxiety side of things during our first consultation and it soon became apparent that we had identical stories of how we lost our mums.

“I was aware of Elizabeth from her really funny TikTok videos and had assumed she was always this happy but, within seconds of speaking with her in person, she was in tears.

“She told me how her comedic persona on social media isn’t how she actually feels most of the time.”

After their consultation, Jo decided she would create a nutrition and fitness plan for Elizabeth free-of-charge.

Mum-of-two Elizabeth, who currently weighs around 20 stones, is documenting her progress on her popular social media pages.

She believes sharing the same experiences as Jo has been an important motivator in helping her pursue a more healthy lifestyle.

Elizabeth said: “After losing my mum, I wasn’t looking after myself and, if I’d kept going the way I was going, I was maybe five years away from a heart attack.

“I just had my second daughter 10 months ago and it’s been such a struggle because my mum hasn’t been there to support me but Jo totally got where I was at, as she has been in exactly the same boat.”

Elizabeth lost seven-and-a-half pounds in the first week of her exercise regime at the Commando X-Fit gym, in Hillington, and hopes to be fit enough next year to climb a Munro for her 40th birthday.

She added: “We’re a long way from the end but, even after my second session with Jo, I feel that I’m in a much better place mentally.

“Knowing that I’m not alone in what I’ve experienced has made this next step a lot easier.”