A woman has revealed how one night out on the town changed her life – pushing her to drop an incredible six stone and overhaul her lifestyle.
Louise Gough was tipping the scales at 15st 8lbs when she went on the fateful evening out dancing – which ended up being a huge turning point.
The 29-year-old couldn’t even tie her own shoestraps, having a friend do it for her, and struggled to keep up with the dancing without sweating and becoming out of breath.
On the cusp of turning 30, and having lost her sporty father, David, at just 52, Louise knew it was time to make a serious change – and fast.
A year on, and the mum-of-one is almost unrecognisable, having dropped down to 9st 6lbs, and hopes her newfound health will mean she is around for longer to watch her young daughter grow up.
“I was in absolute denial about how big and unhealthy I was,” Louise, a business owner from Caerphilly, South Wales, told Need To Know.
“But I felt so ashamed of myself that night.
“I was on a night out in Cardiff for my mother-in-law’s 60th birthday, but I couldn’t dance for more than an hour without sweating and being out of breath.
“I had bought size 18 stretchy jeans, which were extremely tight-fitting and made me realise I was actually more like a size 20-22.
“My friend had to do my shoes up for me because I physically couldn’t bend down to do it myself without losing my breath.”
It was a harsh wake-up call, but one Louise needed – and she woke up the next morning vowing to make a change.
She was particularly concerned for her health after losing her father in 2014, who was “the fittest man she had ever met”, to a heart attack.
Louise, who has a five-year-old daughter, said: “I had depression after losing my dad, and it made me spiral – I lost all interest in taking care of myself.
“On my 29th birthday, I had the realisation that if I passed away at the same time my dad did, I’d only have 23 short years left on this planet.
“I was petrified [of something similar happening to me].
“My dad was fit – he played rugby and walked our dog every single day for hours – but he wasn’t healthy.
“He had a heart attack due to clogged arteries, which were caused by a poor diet.
“It made me want to do this [lose weight] for my health.”
Louise concentrated on her nutrition, working out the calories and macronutrients she needed to hit each day in order to be in a deficit, and get enough protein.
Eating 1,800 calories a day, and aiming to get 8,000-10,000 steps in, in the first three months, she had shed two-and-a-half stone.
Feeling full of energy and eager to keep going, Louise joined a gym and started training daily, as well as taking up running.
She hasn’t drunk alcohol or eaten a takeaway since that night out, back in October 2024 and, a year on, Louise is now a slim size eight and feels entirely better in herself.
She said: “Life has changed drastically for me since losing weight.
“I have energy like I’ve never had before – not even in my teens.
“I can run around with my five-year-old with ease, fit in the slides at the park, and run around the tiny soft plays easily.
“I’ve gone from binging on the sofa most days to training for half marathons in my spare time.
“Events are so much easier now too – I hated shopping [before] because I always wanted to cover certain things up, but now I’m confident in most clothes.
“I absolutely love the way that I look now.
“As I’ve concentrated on nutrition, my skin has never been better, and my hair is thicker and shinier than ever before.
“I don’t crave rubbish food at all anymore – my body really craves nutrition and I love it.
“I live by the 80/20 rule now – which means 80% of nutritional, whole foods, and 20% of less nutritional, nicer, luxury foods.
“I’m so proud of myself for turning my life around – I feel healthy and energised every single day, and I’ve hopefully reversed some of the damage I’d previously done and get to spend extra time with my daughter.”
DIET BEFORE:
Breakfast/Lunch: Large Costa caramel coffee and a sausage sandwich
Dinner: Chinese/Indian/Domino’s takeaways
Snacks: muffins, packets of crisps
DIET NOW:
Breakfast: Greek yoghurt and fruit
Lunch: Chicken
Dinner: Steak/chicken with vegetables
Snacks: Dark chocolate or a Freddo
READ MORE: Doctor says THIS simple habit is key to preventing winter hair shed
