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Gemma Collins and Arg vow to lose weight before having baby after fluctuating by 39 stone after years of yo-yo dieting
GEMMA Collins and James 'Arg' Argent have confirmed their on/off romance is finally back on track with a romantic trip away in Dubai - and pals say they are planning to wed and try for a baby.
“Gemma and Arg are both in the happiest place they’ve been in a long time and finally feel as if they can start planning their future together," a source close to the couple told the Sun Online.
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“Gemma’s gushed to pals how Arg is close to putting a ring on her finger and they’ve even been discussing having a big spring wedding so they can start trying for a family in the next few months.
“He’s promised he won’t let her down again and wants to get at least 6st off before they tie the knot so he can look and feel his best and be in shape for their baby.”
While it looks like their fairy tale ending could be in sight, it's been a rocky road.
The couple have admitted that the stress of their bitter splits has put a strain on their relationship and their health, with their joint weight fluctuating by 39 stone since 2012.
Following their most recent break-up last month, Gemma, 38, admitted the stress had caused her to comfort eat, saying: “I haven’t stopped eating with the stress and upset of everything.”
And Arg, 31, recently opened up about his eating disorder battle after being told by This Morning’s Dr Ranj Singh he needed to lose 10st, saying “When I’m in a bad place I binge eat, and when I put on weight it triggers more issues.”
The pair are said to be working together to get to their healthiest and happiest ever, and Gemma recently stunned fans with her "skinny appearance".
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Ballooned from 11st to 18st in a year
The couple have both admitted they often turn to food for emotional comfort in times of stress - and their yo-yoing weight over the years has reflected turmoil in their personal lives.
In her autobiography, Gemma revealed she was a slender size ten as a teenager but several heartbreaks led weight to balloon from 11st to 18st within a year.
"I went from being a thin girl who never had a weight problem and was a constant size 10 to a girl who couldn't stop growing," she says.
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‘You ain’t ever going to get this candy!’
When Gemma's first started dating Arg in 2012, she was left devastated when she found out he had been talking about her weight behind her back.
It was then ‘meme queen’ Gemma coined one of her earliest catchphrases.
She confronted him in a furious showdown at a Towie pool party - in front of a stunned cast.
“Take a look at this,” she declared, peeling off her pink wrap to reveal her swimsuit-clad figure. “You ain’t ever going to get this candy. I’m sexy and I know it.”
As Arg tried to win her back over by calling her pretty, Gemma retorted: “You think I’m pretty but I’m too fat [for you] to go out with me James.”
Clearly hurt by his size jibes, she added: “I might not be a size 10, but I’ve got a good heart,” before publicly dumping him.
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Food obsession a 'living nightmare'
Arg then reunited with Lydia for a short time, and Gemma dated ex-fiance Rami Hawash, so it seemed to be over for good.
But when she split with Rami, in 2014, she once more turned to food and, at her heaviest, tipped the scales at 21st.
But in 2015, she dropped an impressive 3st by spending a month in a juice camp.
“I’ve done every diet out there, there’s nothing I haven’t done," she told Good Morning Britain.
“I was obsessed with food. And life revolved around food and eating. There was no brain space in my head for me not to think about food, it was a living nightmare.”
At the same time Arg was ballooning in weight and battling drug problems, checking himself into rehab after being suspended from Towie for failing a cocaine test - where he lost a whopping four stone.
"It wasn't just learning about my problems – it was learning to love myself," he said. "Now I know if you eat rubbish, you feel like rubbish. It's a vicious circle and it brings you down."
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Shock health news for Gemma
By 2017, the year the couple hooked up again, both were facing fresh battles with weight.
Gemma, who is desperate to be a mum, was devastated to be told her extra pounds could mean she had a low egg count.
“I'm not saying I'll get to a size 10 but I do need to lose weight. For my health I wouldn't want to be bigger than I am now," she told the Sun.
Meanwhile Arg was once again in rehab, in Thailand, where he lost over a stone in weight by practising Thai boxing, abseiling and zip lining."
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‘You’ve got more rolls than Greggs’
While Arg made a public declaration of love for Gemma at his December 2017 birthday party, they didn't became an official item until April 2018.
Things seemed to be going well at the beginning of this year, when Gemma competed in Dancing On Ice.
Emotionally stable, she managed to lose over two stone - and revealed she was desperate to lose weight so she could have a boob reduction.
She told the Sun: "I'd be really happy if I lost six stone as that would bring me down to 12 stone and a size 16."
"My boobs are so big and I want to get them reduced in January, but I have to lose three stone before they can operate."
But in August, she revealed she had put a stone back on while on holiday in Greece after ditching "flab-a-jab" injections that suppress the appetite.
"Before I went away I was taking it every day and I did lose two stone," she told Good Morning Britain.
"It's fantastic, but like everything, don't expect a miracle cure, you cannot inject a jab and then be eating burgers and chips and pizzas. You have to apply yourself."
But in the same month, Arg - who has been steadily gaining weight all year - used Gemma's weight against her when he uploaded a video of her snoring on social media, before allegedly bombarding her with messages saying: “You are a fat joke of a woman,” and “Who the f*** do you think you are? You’ve got more rolls than Greggs.”
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Arg 'afraid he would die' after hitting 24st
After signing up to swim the English channel for the TV show, Sink or Swim, 31-year-old Arg revealed he's hit his heaviest ever after putting on ten stone in two years, weighing in at 24st.
"I could become ill or die. The swim is an opportunity to sort my life out. The swim is an opportunity to sort my life out.”
He managed to drop 3st on the show, causing Gemma to reveal his extra bulk had been 'ruining' their sex life.
“I can notice the difference in you. I can get my arms around you now when I cuddle you in bed," she said.
“And when you love someone it’s not about their size or whatever, but we can’t be as we used to be in the bedroom. We can’t, no offence.”
Drug scandals and overdose fears
Although she forgave Arg for the insults, drug battles have cast a shadow over the romance.
Just last month Gemma reportedly called 999 over concerns Arg had overdosed, as her fears drugs would kill him were revealed.
The drama came after the star was dropped from Towie in May after testing positive for cocaine.
Gemma reportedly ended things again, earlier this year, when he refused to go to rehab and admitted she "had to stop eating" after turning to comfort food to get through.
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Couples therapy and two years of ‘hell’
Gemma’s recent ‘skinny’ appearance has inspired Arg to get in shape, and according to pals, he’s impressed with her new found confidence.
Our source says: “Gemma’s confidence has soared over the last few months with her weight loss and all the attention she’s been getting.
“It’s made Arg see a different side of her, and inspired him to embark on the same path and join her new healthy lifestyle.
“Arg has done a lot of soul-searching over the past few weeks and he’s started exploring his spiritual side again - doing lots of work on himself and his demons.
"That has made Gemma feel more confident than ever that they’ve finally turned a corner and can move on from the last couple of years of what she’s described as ‘hell’.”
Friends hope this is a turning point for their relationship, with the source adding: “Their loved ones have been expressing concern over their on/off romance and encouraging them to seek couples therapy to keep them on the right path and help deal with the underlying issues which keep leading to their explosive splits.
“Gemma’s on cloud nine right now and everyone is praying Arg sticks to his promises this time around so Gemma can have the happy ending she’s been dreaming of.”
Gemma Collins has a blast at Brian McFadden gig in Dubai before tucking into a cheeky McDonald's falling off the slimming wagon
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