A nurse has told how she went from being a size 20 to a size 10 after getting into a "vicious circle" of comfort eating.
Amy Griffiths, 31, from Llanelli, shed eight stone in just over a year and a half by simply changing her diet.
The mental health nurse, who works at Prince Phillip Hospital, explained she started to feel a bit of a fraud when she would give people health advice about weight management while knowing she was overweight herself.
Amy said, back then, a lot of her problems centred around comfort eating and as she got bigger she began to get nervous in social situations.
She said: "I was really anxious and nervous. I realised it related to my weight.
"It was a vicious circle. I was feeling down. I was comfort eating.
"I did feel in work, when I was giving health advice, I was an example of unhealthiness.
"I felt I should lead by example."
Amy became so uncomfortable in her own skin that she didn't want to go to social events, and would never dream of doing simple activities such as going swimming.
Then, when she was approaching a very important birthday, her thoughts began to change.
Amy said: "It was June last year.
"I turned 30 in June 2019, and I decided I had to do something so I joined Slimming World."
Amy has since gone from weighing 18 stone 1lb to weighing 10 stone exactly.
She has weighed 10 stone for the last month, and hasn't been to Slimming World since February.
Since the pandemic started she has simply been sticking to her strict plan, and has continued to use the Slimming World recipes to guide her meals.
"I was feeling low, anxious and really turned to food for comfort," she added.
"A lot of my weight was about comfort eating.
"Some people have tried for many years trying to lose weight.
"I would start on the Monday and, by Tuesday, I would just give up.
"I just want others to know it can be done."
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Amy said her weight loss was achieved all through healthy eating but, recently, she has also taken up running.
She only started a week ago, but she's slowly trying to build up her resilience.
Her weight loss has given her a new lease of life, confidence boost and passion to further her health goals.
She may have already dropped from a size 20-22 to a slender size 10, but now Amy is trying to up her fitness levels too.
Amy said: "It has changed my life completely. It has changed my son's life.
"I can now go places. I have done so many more things. "
Amy added: "When I see people now they don't recognise me - they walk past me.
"A lot of people don't recognise me.
"If I can inspire others it's worth it - I don't want anyone to feel how I felt.
"People must work for themselves for it."
