A mum from Ashford has shed a whopping nine and-a-half stone - almost half of her body weight.

Delpha Pope, 43, an accounts technician who lives in Godinton Park, Ashford decided to lose almost half her body weight when she felt too embarrassed to attend her God-daughter’s wedding.

Tipping the scales at 20 stone, the size 28 mother-of-one felt self-conscious about her size and would even shy away from seeing her family.

At her biggest, she would gorge on sweets, crisps and take-away baguettes to fit around her hectic work-life.

She explained: “When my God-daughter’s wedding invitation came in the post I was filled with a sense of dread. I was elated to have been invited to take part in her special day but dreaded the thought of everyone seeing me in my size 28 clothing.

“Being so big left me worrying about the future, especially the possibility of not being about to see my grand-daughter grow up.”

She added: “I didn’t like going out and eating in public places because I felt really uncomfortable. I found it hard to find things I wanted to wear, and it came to the point where I didn’t even like looking at myself in the mirror.”

Now a slender size 10/12, Delpha is able to enjoy adult ballet classes, karate lessons and even Cajun dance lessons with her husband after sticking to the LighterLife low calorie diet.

She also attended weekly group sessions where her trained counsellor, Sharon Hamilton, used Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help her find out more about herself and her relationship with food.

She added: “By the time the wedding came around I was halfway through my journey and over five stone lighter. On the day of my God-daughter’s wedding I felt more confident than I had in years.”

After 13 months of dieting and now a weighing in at just over a healthy 10 stone, Delpha says she loves her new look and can’t get enough of wearing heels and dresses but still treats herself to a piece of cake from time to time.

She said: “I can now be the person I’ve always wanted to be and am looking forward to a healthier and happier future.”

For more information about LighterLife visit lighterlife.com

Delpha's diet

THEN

Breakfast: Large Starbucks or Pret a Manger skinny hot chocolate with a pastry

Lunch: Ham and cheese baguette

Dinner: Lasagne, spaghetti bolognese or jacket potato

Snacks: Sweets or crisps in front of the TV

NOW

Breakfast: Porridge/LighterLife bar or shake

Lunch: Salad or soup

Dinner: Chicken, steak or fish served with vegetables or salad

Snacks: None