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"I would decline dinner parties because I didn't have a pretty dress to wear," she says.
"I became so withdrawn and ashamed of what I had allowed myself to become."
Determined to make a change, she swapped her Coke intake for water and smoothies and her time on the couch was ditched in favour of exercise.
In just nine months she dropped from a size 22 to a size 10.
How did she manage it while working full time and caring for her two kids, Amber, then four, and baby Logan, just five months?
She began walking for an hour every day and in the first three months shed 20kg. And she reviewed her weekly food shop.
"I educated myself and reclaimed the power. I was the one doing the grocery shopping and looking after everyone. I didn't realise how negligent I had been."
Where she used to resort to takeaways or easy to prepare meals, she began to enjoy taking the time to make healthy dinners.
Eventually, she felt confident enough to hit the gym.
"I would go to the gym after Logan's 3.30am feed and be back in time for breakfast. I just made it work for me so that I could feel good about myself for the rest of the day."
She also says changing how she coped with everyday issues and worries helped break bad habits.
"I still have my worried days but I just focus on my breathing and allow myself to feel it and then let it go," she explains.
"It's about breaking the pattern - I use pen and paper now to write in my journal instead of going to the cupboard and devouring a packet of Tim Tams."
Three years on, Thurlow has kept the weight off, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, despite facing numerous hurdles along the way.
Since her transformation, she has separated from her husband and both her children have been diagnosed with autism.
She believes her new lifestyle prompted her to take a hard look at her marriage.
"In my late 20s, I witnessed my mum in a very abusive relationship - it was really hard to watch as a child. When I became a mum myself, it made me reflect on the kind of role model I wanted to be to my kids. I knew they would love me unconditionally but I knew I could do better," she told Kidspot.
Thurlow says she is still good friends with her husband and their children have adapted well to life with parents who live apart.
At the beginning of the year Thurlow began running her own personal training business and says she hopes her story will inspire others.
