Danielle's triumph 'I'M NO LONGER ON THE SIDELINES'

The Gisborne supermum reveals how she lost an incredible 60kg

- Morgan Reardon

Danielle Takoko says she's always been easy to spot in a crowded room. She's the one surrounded by people, her big, booming laugh making everyone smile. But behind the grins, she faced a private battle, one that saw her spend up to $100 a week on chocolate bars alone.

She's mum to five children - two of whom are adopted, one who is a "foster for life", and two who are Danielle and husband Brian's biological children. Four of the children have multiple disorders ranging from ADHD to foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and Danielle's busy life saw her skipping breakfast, bingeing on takeaways and turning to food as a source of comfort.

"If I had a bad day, I'd have a chocolate bar," tells Danielle, 44. "If I had a good day, I'd have a chocolate bar to celebrate.

I could find a million reasons to eat a bar of chocolate." It wasn't until her unhealthy lifestyle stopped her from sleeping that she paid a visit to her doctor. "I couldn't breathe," she recalls. "The weight on my hips and knees would keep me up at night." Stepping on the scales at a sleep apnoea clinic in May 2019, Danielle was devastated to see the number staring back at her - 144.4kg.