A young woman has revealed how shedding a staggering 10 stone has transformed her life so dramatically she barely knows who she used to be.
Lara Jade says her weight once ruled every part of her world, leaving her feeling miserable, isolated and desperate to stay out of sight.
But after making small yet powerful lifestyle changes, the 22-year-old has dropped an incredible 65kg and says her life has changed “in so many ways”.
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“I do not recognise the old me; I am not the sad, miserable and unhealthy girl I once was,” Lara, who is from Queensland, Australia, told Need To Know.
“I used to hide behind others in photos so no one could see how big I was.
“I would avoid doing anything that would make me stick out in the slightest.
“I was always worried about what people thought of me.
“I don’t have to hide behind others in photos anymore, I no longer have to worry what other people think of me as I am a lot more confident in myself.”
Lara’s battle with her weight began in her teens after growing up feeling unhappy with her appearance.
She said: “The older I got, the bigger I became.
“It was daunting and depressing but I downplayed it to my ‘genetics’ as my mother’s side were all on the larger scale themselves.
“That’s what I told everyone to make myself feel better.
“I became sick of feeling like the ‘outsider’ in my friend groups.
“I was always the biggest person, and I couldn’t enjoy all the other things my friends could.
“I couldn’t play at lunch time because I physically was unable.”
Despite trying to join in, Lara would quickly tire and struggle to catch her breath.
The toll on her mental health was huge, leaving her “miserable” and subjected to “constant” bullying that eventually saw her drop out of school.
Determined to make a change, Lara began doing HIIT and dance workouts in her bedroom at just 14.
A year later, she joined a gym and threw herself into her weight loss journey.
At her heaviest at the time, she weighed 124kg.
Through daily workouts and the keto diet, she lost an astonishing 50kg in just 11 months.
But her progress came to a crashing halt when she suffered a serious back injury, rupturing a disc.
She said it was “all downhill from there”.
Unable to maintain her routine, Lara found the keto diet unsustainable, slipped back into old habits and regained around 15kg.
By the time she was between 17 and 20, her weight had “skyrocketed” to 138kg, her heaviest ever.
In 2024, she made another push, cutting out takeaway food and starting daily medication for her back, which helped her move more freely.
She said: “Losing that weight helped my back a lot; I was able to do more things without being in constant pain.
“I didn’t have to take my medication daily just to function, and it became only through the flare ups I’d have to take the medicine to feel normal while it healed.
“The flare ups weren’t constant anymore and the healing time became a lot less.
“I was able to start working again and got a job in customer service so I was constantly on my feet – having a physical job helped as well.”
In January 2025, Lara recommitted to her journey, returning to the gym around three times a week.
Taking things slowly to protect her back, she gradually built strength and began shedding the weight again.
Soon, everyday tasks that once felt impossible became “10 times easier”.
By late 2025, after increasing her gym sessions to five times a week, her weight dropped dramatically.
She now maintains a weight between 73kg and 76kg.
She said: “I became a bit stricter with what I was eating and really tried to nourish my body with whole foods.
“I started doing a lot more outdoor activities that were exercise based and I feel like that helped me a lot.”
The transformation has not just been physical.
Lara says she is now more confident, happier and fully present in her life.
She said: “I prefer to be front and centre of photos now; I put my hand up for a lot more.
“I am a lot happier, healthier, and active.
“I enjoy hiking, running, trying new obstacles and giving everything my absolute best!
“I look forward to going to the gym everyday – I love strength training and feeling strong.
“Increasing my weights every couple months is my favourite as well.
“I am always up for new adventures and I can play with all of my nieces and nephews without saying ‘I’m too sore or tired today sorry’.
“I’m more present in my own life, as well as those who are close to me.”
Now, Lara is urging others to stick with their goals, even when it feels impossible.
She said: “You are not going to see results overnight, it takes time, dedication and consistency.
“It is hard, I won’t lie.
“You’ll cry, you’ll sweat, swear and want to give up more times than you can count but it is so important you keep pushing forward.
“Your health is important. Your quality of life is important.”
She also stresses that weight loss is not about being the “smallest person in the room”.
Instead, she says it is about feeling stronger, healthier and happier.
She added: “Please remember all bodies are beautiful, no matter what shape and size.
“Being healthy comes in many forms.
“Muscle weighs more than fat, so please take photos, measurements and don’t solely rely on the scale.
“It won’t always go down, it might even go up but the way clothes fit, the way you feel and the things you’ll be able to do, will outweigh the scale every single time.”
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