Date night detour changed our lives

Mel and Doreen on weightloss journey together

- PAUL BEHAN

Happy couple Mel and Doreen have changed their lives

A married couple’s date night plan took a massive detour - towards a weight loss journey they'll never forget.

Kilmarnock’s Melvin Goudie promised his wife Doreen a Thursday night date.

But instead of a cosy restaurant or a cinema, he pulled up outside Kirsty’s Slimming World group in Crosshouse.

Doreen was stunned, saying: “I had no real intention of joining Slimming World.”

But that unexpected detour on August 14, 2025 became the start of a journey that would change both their lives, and give them a continuous love story worth celebrating.

For Doreen, the wake-up call had come earlier that summer.

Holiday photos left her feeling embarrassed and miserable, and she knew something had to change.

Mel, meanwhile, had retired and slipped into habits he didn't like. Junk food had crept in, his blood pressure was rising, and he'd been told he was pre-diabetic.