It’s never too late.

That’s the message from one Southampton woman who at the age of 58 lost more than eight stone in just two years

Sue Hatton from Portswood was 56 when she realised she had to change.

She was 19 stone and counting, and although had always had a heavier build, had lost control of her eating - bingeing on chocolate and ready meals as a way of avoiding doing something about her weight.

Christmas shopping had become almost unbearable and finding attractive clothes that fit was nearly impossible.

On top of that Sue realised that in ten years she would be retiring - but she was so dangerously overweight that she might not even reach retirement age.

After some unsuccessful attempts at losing weight, a friend suggested signing up with personal trainers at a Southampton gym.

Sue arranged to speak to Brightside founder Paul Laslett, and at that first meeting she had a lightbulb moment. She could go back to her old - and deeply unhappy life - or change and start to make plans.

She signed up for the Millbrook gym’s 12 week transformation package and with just one trip to the supermarket with a personal trainer Sue realised that she had the power to change.

Over the course of the next two years she took part in a combination of exercising and better eating to turn her life around.

She said: “One of the most significant things was the food education they gave me

“Alex came out and did my first supermarket shop with me.

“I cook now - everything from scratch and I haven’t had a ready meal since I started.”

At the gym she learnt how to do weights and use the treadmill, and in July 2015 managed the unthinkable - she completed a 5k Walk For Life on Southampton Common in just one hour 21 minutes.

Then she did it again last year in just 52 minutes in a combination of walking and running - and the plan this year is to run the whole way.

She said: “It’s the atmosphere that carries you through and you get a great sense of achievement.”

“It seems big but at the gym they take it step by step so it’s not as a big a mountain as you think it’s going to be

“I remember when I went to America I had to ask for an extension on my seatbelt. The steward was very discreet about it but I just wanted to curl up and die.

“And sitting on the train - I would feel like a social pariah.

“You don’t want to be a hindrance to your friends - and Christmas shopping was just horrendous

“Standing up for any length of time was just awful. Any time I had to go out I’d think ‘I’ll have to get up early, everything’s going to ache.’

“I think people who knew me would have thought I was a friendly person, but inside you’re just miserable and you don’t know where to start.

“But Paul said ‘let’s not focus on how much, let’s just focus on today, and what we’re doing now.’ It spurs you on.”

Paul said: “We both got quite emotional in our first meeting. What Sue’s done is absolutely amazing.

“But it’s about finding out what motivates her and keeping her going. And it’s got to be fun and varied. And making sure it’s flexible. As well as actually caring. We talk to Sue in between sessions and see how her week has been going, how her day has gone and what we can do today.”