I blamed the camera for making me look big but was munching McDonald’s daily – mindful trick that helped me drop 6st

LOOKING shamefaced into the mirror, Mollie Maclennan realised she couldn’t keep lying to herself. Her 18 stone and size 22 body did not feel like her own. At 18st Mollie had been in denial about her weight Credit: Kennedy News Mollie lost 6st and dropped to a size 12 Credit: Kennedy News “I had a bloated belly and thick thighs,” the now-20-year-old says. “I wouldn’t look in the mirror very often. I thought ‘that’s not me.’ Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! “I would always look at photos and think ‘the camera just makes you feel bigger, I’m not actually that big’. It took quite a while to finally realise how big I was. “I thought my clothes didn’t fit me because I was older. I had been very in denial [about my weight].” After her relationship ended, Mollie realised her lifestyle needed to change Credit: Kennedy News Mollie swapped McDonald’s and takeaways for whole foods and smaller portions Credit: Kennedy News But that day, something had changed. After ending her relationship of three and a half years on Valentine’s day 2024, Mollie realised she needed to change her lifestyle. The 20-year-old stepped on the scales and was shocked to see she weighed almost 18st, which she suspected was due to all of her binge-eating. While Mollie had always struggled with her weight, she got into the habit of binge-eating during her relationship. Most read in Fabulous “I’d scoff massive portions of pasta with lots of cheese, cream, and not a lot of veggies. As a snack, I’d have sweets or chocolate,” she said. Her diet was all takeaways too – McDonald’s, Chinese or the chippy. For Mollie, it was a moment of realisation, as she had been in denial about her size. She had even tried telling herself that the reason she looked big in photos was the camera adding weight. But finally newly single, Mollie decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. She had tried dieting before, and refused to go on the jabs. Mollie, from Bristol, said: “I’m so happy I did it naturally. Jabs cause more harm than good, you could lose your vitamins, your hair. “It’s what I would recommend to people instead of looking for a quick fix.” The civil servant opened her laptop and started looking at local gyms, searching for a personal trainer. Now two years on, Mollie has lost a whopping six stone through reducing her portions and eating more ‘whole foods’, while also weightlifting with a personal trainer. Mollie was anxious to go to the gym because she was bigger Credit: Kennedy News The 5ft 5 content creator is grateful to have lost weight without using jabs Credit: Kennedy News Mollie’s important but simple trick was to eat slower, helping her get full quicker and reduce her portions. People who eat quickly tend to weigh more than those who don’t. According to Healthline, fast eaters are up to 115% more likely than slower eaters to be obese. They also tend to gain weight over time, which may be partially due to eating too fast. In one study of more than 4,000 middle-aged adults, those who said they ate very fast tended to be heavier and had gained the most body weight since age 20. Mollie said: “[Now] I will stop eating when I’m full instead of overeating and finishing everything on your plate, and eat slower as well. “Portion control is the most crucial for me. You don’t have to cut out all your favourite foods in order to lose weight.” Mollie, who is now sharing her weight-loss journey, said her dating life has improved as she is more confident in herself. Mollie said: “I started losing weight after Valentine’s Day when me and my partner split up. “I thought, I have a lot of free time now so I’m going to try and lose weight. I had put on a significant amount of weight. “I kept trying different diets and it just wouldn’t work. I went to the gym but didn’t enjoy it because I would only do cardio. I thought I needed to make a change and actually stick to it. “For the past two years I’ve been able to lose six stone. I’ve been able to do it all without calorie deficit, without restricting myself. I struggled with a calorie deficit and wanted to do what feels right. “I was very anxious to go to the gym because I was bigger and didn’t know what I was doing. I started with a personal trainer and got really into weight lifting. “I started by looking to eat more whole foods and less snacks. Over the past two years I’ve made my portions smaller and smaller. Before, I would be able to eat what a grown man eats on a daily basis and I would still be hungry. “I did have a binge-eating disorder before I lost the weight so I was constantly eating, I used to wake up thinking about what I was going to eat. “Now I don’t think of food in that way, I wake up and think about what I’m going to do in the day and not what I’m going to eat.” After the split, the civil servant said she reduced her portions and started eating more ‘whole foods’, while she started weightlifting with a personal trainer. Now, the 5ft 5in content creator can pose confidently in photos, fitting into a size 12. Mollie said: “I started wearing baggy clothes and jumpers. Being around my friends and comparing myself to them made me realise how big I was. “I have had lots of issues with dating and think that was because of confidence issues. My standards have improved, I’m expecting a lot more. “It wasn’t a horrible relationship but I wasn’t happy with myself and I would just be in bed all the time and eat. “I was very in denial about how big I was. I went from a size 14 to 22 and now I’m down to a size 12. “After the breakup I thought I needed to make a change for myself. I’ve always been bigger since I was a child and I would go to the doctor about it. Mollie's diet before and after Food diary before weight loss: Breakfast: Nutella on toast, ‘whatever’ was in the cupboard. Lunch: ‘Massive’ portion of pasta with cheese, cream, and not a lot of veggies. Snacks: Crisps, chocolate, or sweets. Dinner: Big portions of homemade dinner like fajitas or McDonald’s, a Chinese, or a chippy. Food diary after weight loss: Breakfast: Overnight oats with frozen raspberries and almond milk. Lunch: Salmon and broccoli, carrots with low-fat houmous. Snacks: Mango, Squares bars. Dinner: Chicken with rice, peppers and potatoes, or chicken and broccoli. “I had no confidence before and now I’m so much more confident in myself. Being able to have new relationships and I have so much confidence. “The breakup was like a starting point, I didn’t want to be with anybody else I wanted to focus on me.” Mollie said she is grateful she lost the weight naturally without using skinny jabs and encourages others to do the same. Mollie said: “If you rush it you won’t be able to maintain it. “When people tell me they are taking the jabs, you’re completely starving yourself and there’s nothing worse than doing that. You’re going to lose your vitamins, your hair. “It’s just going to cause more harm than good and I try to encourage people to do it naturally. Don’t ever compare yourself to other people. The biggest thing to do is start taking pictures of how you look now and you’ll see a difference.” Comment now