A young admin broker who struggled with her fluctuating weight has dropped five dress sizes in an astonishing body transformation after she overhauled her lifestyle.
Maddie Gregory, from the Gold Coast in Queensland, tipped the scales at 90kg at her heaviest after she turned to food for comfort when her dad fell ill.
As she juggled high school, her weight started to escalate at the age of 17 when she ate copious amounts of food while doing zero exercise.
‘I ate anything and a lot of it, there wasn’t any specific kind of foods – I was just eating anything because it was a comfort for me,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
But determined to get on top of her weight once and for all, the now-20-year-old – who works for an insurance brokerage firm – slimmed down to a size six after she simply changed her diet.
Maddie Gregory tipped the scales at 90kg (left). She has since slimmed down to 62kg (right)
Determined to get on top of her weight once and for all, the now-20-year-old – who works for an insurance brokerage firm – slimmed down to a size six after she changed her diet
Before her weight loss, Maddie wore size 14 to 16 clothing and confined herself indoors because she was ‘severely depressed’ due to family issues.
‘I was still in school. But I never wanted to go out or do anything but stay in my bed. I never worked out. I didn’t care what I was eating and I’d eat constantly,’ she said.
‘I didn’t enjoy school as much and I never wanted to go and my dad was sick at the time so that made me depressed.’
Her weight gain affected her schooling because she ‘felt so gross and down’.
‘I felt ugly and only ever wore black clothes because it made me look thinner,’ Maddie said.
‘But I wasn’t really that concerned that I was fat until I really got to my heaviest and weighed myself after years of not weighing myself.’
Her turning point came after she felt determined to lose weight in the lead up to her end of year school formal dance (pictured left at the start of 2018 when she was about 86kg and right: now after slimming down to 62kg)
After struggling to lose the stubborn body fat, Maddie turned to Lite n’ Easy meals where she was able to slim down to 62kg after losing a further 15kg in just seven months
Maddie documenting herself working out at the gym weighing 75kg in July 2020 (left). She now weighs a healthy 62kg (right)
The now-20-year-old pictured left in 2018; and right at the start of this year after losing weight
Her turning point came after she felt determined to lose weight in the lead up to her end of year school formal dance.
‘It was my last year of school and I didn’t want to be big for my formal so I started eating less and better. I didn’t work out but I started going out more on the weekends to keep me motivated and moving,’ she said.
Maddie said her dad also inspired her to turn her life around after he lost weight first.
‘He quit smoking a couple of years ago and then he started losing weight after hitting his heaviest which was around 170kg. He has since lost 70kg,’ she said.
Maddie shed 10kg on her own just by eating smaller portions. But after struggling to lose stubborn body fat, she turned to Lite n’ Easy meals where she was able to slim down to 62kg after losing a further 15kg in just seven months.
‘The start of quarantine really got me motivated. I started doing workouts from home because the gyms were closed,’ she said.
‘When the gyms reopened, I did weight training instead of cardio based workouts. I would have a weight loss shake in the morning and then a piece of fruit for a snack.
Maddie pictured left weighing 90kg; and right taken at the end of 2019 weighing 78kg
By sharing her story, Maddie – who now wears sizes ranging from six to 10 – hopes other young people will feel inspired to lose weight
During her incredible body transformation, Maddie said she tweaked her diet and lifestyle
‘I eat about 1,300 calories a day. The food variety is amazing. There’s always an option I love, and I find it hard trying to choose just seven dinners each week.
‘My favourite dinner is the ‘Everyday Christmas Dinner’, which contains slices of carved turkey, baked ham served with roasted vegetables, gravy and cranberry sauce. My lunches are usually the burgers.’
Maddie – who exercises four to five times a week – said she now feels ‘way more confident’ and happier with herself when she looks at her reflection in the mirror.
‘I can actually wear nice clothes and not feel big or look big. It makes me feel like it’s something I don’t have to worry about. I still have days where I don’t feel confident but I feel like that’s everyone,’ she said.
‘I have so much more energy, feel more confident in myself and just feel more motivated to achieve my goals.’
By sharing her story, Maddie – who now wears sizes ranging from six to 10 – hopes other young people will feel inspired to lose weight.
‘You definitely have to be in the right mindset and be motivated. Don’t set unrealistic goals, instead set little ones and that way you won’t put yourself down,’ she said.