A woman who was warned she risked having a heart attack due to her ballooning size said she no longer feels disabled by her weight after shedding seven stone.

Lyn Smith, who once tipped the scales at almost 20 stone, has now transformed her health so much that her GP has taken away her blood pressure tablets, her arthritis is not crippling her with pain anymore and she no longer needs inhalers for breathlessness.

Having found success with the Cambridge Weight Plan, the 60-year-old, from Wymondham, now hopes to inspire other slimmers by training as a diet consultant. She aims to be taking on clients from the Wymondham area by the end of January.

She said: 'It's a new year and a new me. I feel 10 years younger now. I am healthier, fitter, more attractive and happier.

'I have dieted for 40 years and never achieved this loss before. I can now wear fashion clothes, go into any clothes shops and wear high heels without swollen ankles.

'I couldn't even manage physical exercise before. I felt slightly disabled and was warned by medics that I could have a heart attack or a stroke. I used to walk but had aching joints and was breathless.'

Lyn, who works as an auxiliary nurse for a community hospital, slimmed down from 19st 7lbs to 12st 9lbs.

She had managed to lose about a stone and a half over two years by herself before seeking the help of Cambridge Weight Plan consultant John Howard, who himself lost seven stones four years ago and has managed to keep the weight off. With his help, Lyn managed to shift the rest of the weight within eight months.

The Cambridge Weight Plan allows dieters to replace all or some of their meals with vitamin rich milkshakes, soups and chocolate bars in a programme developed by Alan Howard, a research scientist at Cambridge University.

Followers work with a trained consultant who provides one-to-one support throughout the programme.

For more information, call John on 01379 678416 or call Lyn on 01953 603952.