Megan Winstanley, 31, lost over eight stone after implementing key exercises into her lifestyle
Megan Winstanley before her weight loss(Image: Megan Winstanley / SWNS)
A woman who weighed 15st 10lbs at her heaviest and would secretly eat sugary treats at night says she has now lost eight stone without any medication by doing one 30 minute exercise each morning.
Megan Winstanley, from Wigan, said she struggled with her confidence at her larger weight and would often feel left out with friends as she would watch them borrow each other’s clothes. But after managing to lose two stone for her brother’s wedding by making some key diet changes, the 31-year-old became committed to transforming her weight and decided to sign up to a 12-week calorie challenge.
From there Megan took up swimming – which she does for 30 minutes each morning – and has now lost 8st 3lbs. She has also taken up bodybuilding and now weighing 7st 6lbs, she hits the gym most days and even finished second in a recent bodybuilding competition.
Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter
Reflecting on her weight loss journey, Megan, a local authority worker, said: “I didn’t have much confidence – I was trying to act as the joker because if people are going to laugh at me because of my weight, I’d rather it was because I was funny.
“It was more if I felt sad, I would emotionally eat. I always knew I was a bigger girl. Friends always used to borrow each other’s clothes and I’d always have to buy something new.
Megan Winstanley before her weight loss(Image: Megan Winstanley / SWNS)
“When I came back from travelling in 2018, I remember looking in the mirror and I just felt sick with seeing how I saw myself. I felt depressed.
“But after I did the 12 week challenge in 2021, that’s when the macros and calorie counting took effect. Someone did that plan for me and I followed it. There wasn’t in depth education about it but I knew I had to be eating less calories.”
Megan says she “didn’t have the education around the nutrition” when she was younger and would over rely on carbs. She told Sell Us Your Story: “My lifestyle was not going to the gym, I didn’t have a routine, I didn’t have the education around the nutrition.
“It was very carb-heavy meals throughout the day. I had on and off part time jobs studying performance at Salford University and I did summers away in US and it was more or less when going home that I’d look at photos and not be happy with the way I looked.”
After losing two stone for her brother’s wedding, Megan became interested in bodybuilding in 2022. She said: “I lost about two stone by the time of the wedding and I wanted to lose more.
Megan Winstanley after losing weight(Image: Megan Winstanley / SWNS)
“I was swimming in the morning, and then most days I would go into the gym afterwards. It was resistance training and using the cross trainer. In 2023 I had a bulging disk in my back and prior to that I wanted to do something big.
“I did a photoshoot in 2022 and that instilled the idea if I did some more dieting I could be stage ready and that prompted the idea of bodybuilding. I was 53.7kg and that was in four years. I thought if I was in the best shape of my life now, how far could I take it?”
She has since employed a coach and takes part in bodybuilding competitions across the country. Megan explained: “In my head I wanted to enter my 30s as them being my best years. Once I stood on stage I got the bug and I wanted to be better and better.
“I entered the PCA first timers. I didn’t have a coach and when I stepped on stage I felt rubbish but it set a fire within me. I have a coach for it now and I’m in the best shape of my life at 47.5kg.”
She added: “I would say the resistance training and dieting the biggest factors for weight loss. Weight training more than anything.
Megan Winstanley after her bodybuilding transformation(Image: Megan Winstanley / SWNS)
“When I was training three times a week, I would do my weights, my cardio and then in the evening I would go to farmer strong which was tyre flipping, rope climbing.
“In between that I was working full-time. If you want change, then you need to go and do it. Once you start going and taking it step by step, it becomes natural and part of your identity and part of your routine. It’s a rollercoaster, but it’s about the end goal of feeling happier and looking in the mirror.”