Obese at 19, this is what I look like now. No jabs, no surgery – and I still eat takeaway. Here’s exactly how I did it – and the low-calorie dessert dupes that helped me lose 45kg

Two weeks before my 18th birthday, I learned my father had died in Indonesia.

Losing him marked the end of one chapter of my life – and the beginning of another – one that would involve finally shedding the excess weight that had dogged me throughout my childhood and teenage years.

Growing up in a small coastal town in the Northern Rivers region was tough, to say the least. Dad was physically abusive, which meant my mother moved us out when I was about four, eventually settling in Brisbane at age 15.

Losing him was hard – he was my dad, after all. My coping mechanism then was to overeat – a common habit among people with trauma.

By the time I met my partner Todd in 2018, those patterns were set in stone. As we settled into date nights and takeaways, the ‘relationship weight’ crept on.

At work, things worsened: I was an assistant manager in a jewellery store where looks were everything, and I felt like I didn’t fit in. It became a toxic workplace for me.

Plus, being based in a shopping centre put endless food within reach; on particularly bad days, I’d head straight to the food court and binge.

My rock bottom came when I could no longer fit into standard sizes in stores. 

I weighed 130kg (286lb, or 20st 6lb) and had to buy my clothes from specialist plus-size online shops. It was devastating.

I knew I was heavy, but at 19 I never seriously considered surgery or weight‑loss injections – I felt far too young for that.

Instead, I believed that if I took the time to understand the science of fat loss and committed to applying it properly, I could achieve results without medical intervention.

For me, injections or gastric sleeves should be a last resort, reserved for people with underlying health issues or those who’ve genuinely tried to lose weight and faced significant setbacks.

I didn’t want that to be my first port of call while I was still in my teens.

By 2021, I’d done my research and committed to a clear plan: a modest daily calorie deficit paired with five workouts a week.

I aimed for around 1,600 calories a day and prioritised protein, often reaching 160–170g. Slowly but steadily, the weight began to come off.

There were several non-negotiables I stuck to. I knew that feeling deprived was often what drove me to binge, so I wanted my diet to feel as flexible as possible. 

And as a real sweet tooth, I was determined not to swear off desserts entirely, so I figured out how to make low-calorie versions of all my favourites. 

These days, my go‑to calorie‑friendly sweet treats are trifles – but a lighter version.

Traditional trifles are typically loaded with sponge cake, cream and full‑fat custard. I instead use a sachet of low‑calorie jelly, protein custard and a handful of raspberries. 

Protein pancakes – which swap the traditional flour and sugar with protein‑rich ingredients like protein powder, egg whites or cottage cheese – also help to satiate my sweet tooth without messing up my daily calorie deficit.

I couldn’t recommend them enough.

Overnight Weet-Bix – a variation of overnight oats but using Weet-Bix as a base – are great too. One of my favourites includes Greek yoghurt, a scoop of protein and stewed apples – which adds up to just 374 calories and almost 35g of protein.

With dessert covered, the other culinary vice I needed to address was takeaways.

These days, many restaurants tell you how many calories or kilojoules of energy are in a dish, and also show the recommended daily intake for men and women.

But I did my own research, too. In Australia, delicious, low-calorie options include the Hot Bird burger from Grill’d and six-inch chicken schnitzel Subway sandwiches.

Finally, I incorporated regular diet breaks so my journey didn’t feel too restrictive.

Having a break from your goals doesn’t mean you’ve ‘given up’ or lack discipline. They are essential to getting you out of the ‘all of nothing’ mentality that often leads to diet burnout. 

This approach – the low-calorie desserts, carefully chosen takeaway options, and strictly managed diet breaks – meant I finally had a plan I could stick to and that didn’t make me feel miserable.

Coupled with the daily deficit and workouts, I managed to lose 42kg (92.6lb or 6st 8lb). I now fit into the clothes that I love and don’t feel like daily life is a struggle.

In addition to looking better, another one of the most motivating things has been seeing my fitness level increase.

Fit people often have no idea how hard basic exercises can be when you’re overweight. Learning what your body is capable of is indescribably liberating.

My overall endurance has improved significantly. Now I love hikes and actively look forward to weight training. 

Fitness has since become such a central part of my life that I decided to study it.

Last year, I graduated with a Certificate III in Fitness and a Certificate IV in Nutrition and Sports Nutrition.

I’m now a qualified adviser, using that knowledge to maintain my own healthy habits – and help others do the same.

• As told to Natalie Reilly