A super-slimmer from Aylsham has revealed how a health scare sparked her to shift nearly eight stone in little more than a year.

Mum-of-four Sadie Watling tipped the scales at just over 19st 8lb at her heaviest and was hooked on massive-sized portions of chips and crisps.

But just 14 months later the 37-year-old, of Sapwell Close, now weighs 11st 12lb and is just over a stone away from her target.

Mrs Watling first started gaining weight 19 years ago after the birth of her daughter Stacey.

She said: 'I just never lost any of my pregnancy weight after each child. I wanted to lose weight but I didn't know how.'

The turning-point came last March after she was told she needed to lose weight to improve her health, including her dangerously high blood sugar levels which was affecting her diabetes.

And after visiting a consultant in London she was told she would have half of her stomach cut away.

She said: 'It scared me into losing the weight. At the time I could not walk to my local slimming group. I could not even walk to the end of the road.'

But she eventually made contact with Slimming World consultant Kirstie Kett who arranged for one of her members to drive Mrs Watling to the group two streets away from her home.

'After the first week I lost 3�lb and I thought if I could do that then I didn't need the surgery - I would never look back,' she said.

'Once I lost 2�st I started walking to group. I've got so much energy and it's nice to feel I can walk to and from places now.'

She said that she felt like a 'new woman' when she dressed in her size 14 clothes and her husband Chris, 51, added that it was a proud day when she threw away her size 24-26 outfits.

To continue with her new healthy lifestyle the couple said they hoped to get bikes soon to start cycling together.

Mrs Kett added that Mrs Watling had been 'an inspiration' to the other members of the group.

? The Aylsham Slimming World group is held at St Michael's Nursery School on Wednesdays at 5.30pm and 7.30pm. For more information please call Judy Taylor on 01362 691904.