A woman has shared how looking at one photo of herself sparked huge change – and how she then lost seven stone in just a year.
Jade Crighton had struggled with her weight since she was in her early teens, relying on “quick fix” meals, especially after becoming a single mum at the age of 17.
It wasn’t until Jade spotted herself in a family photo that she realised something would need to change.
READ MORE: ‘I was left with HALF my body burned after getting trapped in a car blaze’
“My daughter took a photo of myself, my partner, my child and our nephew – and seeing that photo instantly saddened me,” Jade, who is based in Tonypandy, South Wales, told Need To Know.
“I couldn’t shift the feeling of guilt towards my family, my kids.
“It made me feel really upset, which made me realise I had to change.”
Jade started on her weight loss journey the same day.
The 35-year-old, who is originally from Liverpool, says her weight got “worse and worse over the years”, with her issues starting in her teens.
Jade had daughter Ellie, now 16, when she was 17 years old and after that, she would regularly give in to “easy temptation” when it came to treats – especially Coca-Cola.
She recalls snacking on crisps, chocolate, sausage rolls, pork pies – anything quick and easy – while she would guzzle up to five cans of Coca-Cola a day.
Her main meals would always include chips or bread, food cooked in lots of oil, or takeaways.
Jade’s weight even went on to impact her second pregnancy with her son Cody in 2024.
She was warned that she was high risk and found herself in and our of hospital throughout.
She explained: “I struggled with day-to-day activities with him, and in the back of my mind I was always having the reminder of guilt.
“I wasn’t an active mum with Ellie. I didn’t want the same for Cody.
“Being a young parent, single and working full time, I always made sure meal times were good for my daughter.
“But I never had time so I either ate something later on when she was in bed, like a microwave meal or if I was working, I’d grab a takeaway.
“We would always have treats and snacks in the house so they were there – on weekends we would have treats like McDonald’s or a takeaway, or we have a munch night so [that] would involve treats and sweets.”
But then, in December 2024, Jade’s perspective began to shift – due to one image.
She, her partner Graeme, Ellie, Cody and other family members celebrated Christmas at Trecco Bay Holiday Park in Porthcawl.
And a family picture, taken by Ellie for the occasion, changed everything.
Jade said: “When I saw it, it made me feel so sad inside.
“I was so embarrassed and felt awful.
“Something just clicked.
“When we got home, I tried on my own but I found it really difficult, so in January 2025 I looked online for a local Slimming World group and did some research.
“Over the next few days [I] built up the confidence and messaged the consultant.”
Jade says attending the group helped her to overhaul her lifestyle and make the changes she wanted to make.
She “completely stripped herself back”, educating herself on food and her relationship with it.
Jade added: “I worked on my portion control with meals, completely ditched full fat Coke and now have Pepsi Max and plenty of water.
“I try and cook more meals from scratch and make chips from potatoes instead of having frozen chips.
“I’m also more active, getting my steps in, going on walks.”
During her first weigh-in at Slimming World in January 2025, Jade was 22st 1lbs.
She now weighs 14st 8lbs, having lost more than seven stone in just a year.
Jade, who is currently unemployed, says her life has changed in “so many ways” since starting her lifestyle overhaul.
She said: “I am now so much more active in both of my kids’ lives.
“I feel healthier in myself, I have dropped five dress sizes from 26 to a 16.
“I don’t get out of breath as easily as I used to, I want to do more things now and I walk more than I ever did before.
“Now, I don’t have any trouble shopping for clothes and feel so happy that I have so much more choice.”
Jade lost seven stone without the use of weight loss jabs, due to a number of concerns around that new-fangled treatments.
She said: “If it [weight loss jabs] helps a person, then that’s their choice.
“But I won’t try them due to all the bad things I have heard, and people becoming ill, etc.
“Most of all, it’s the cost – I couldn’t afford them.”
Jade says her advice to anyone starting on a similar journey is to “believe in yourself”.
She added: “It’s easy to hear people say they do believe in you, but you need to actually believe in yourself.
“Keep pushing yourself and give yourself little goals along the way, instead of one big goal.
“It wasn’t easy – I have tried so many diets over the years and never been able to stick to them on my own, but going to Slimming World and being at group every week really helped me massively.
“It helped me with my confidence, my education with food and I always picked up tips to go home with.
“The support you get is really the best and I am so happy I joined my group 12 months ago.
“They have been a massive part of my journey.”
READ MORE: ICU nurse reveals that everyone says THESE things before they die
