A retired teacher lost more than half her body weight after being shocked to see a photograph of herself taken at Christmas.
Linda Gibson, 66, was captured trying to hide her figure behind a chair in the snap.
She had piled on the pounds and tipped the scales at 22st 9lb, after she quit her 40-year smoking habit three years earlier.
The former teacher used to gorge graze all day with her favourite food choices being pizzas, Chinese and Indian takeaways, cheese and wine.
But, as Chronicle Live says, Linda has shed 13st 1lb and has gone from a size 26 to a size 10.
She said: "I knew I had to do something for my own health.
"I was on fluid retention tablets for my legs and I could only walk about five yards before I was breathless.
"I had been to the doctors and they sent me for health checks, including an MRI scan which was scary because I thought I wasn't going to be able to fit [inside the scanner].
"But ultimately I knew my health was suffering because of my weight."
Linda was often breathless and was unable to walk far without having to stop for a rest at her heaviest. She also had heavy, swollen legs.
But her impressive transformation has allowed Linda to enjoying a greater choice of clothing in a size which is easily found on the high street.
She's ditched the elasticated waist trousers.
"I used to feel restricted in what clothes I could buy. I did all my clothes shopping online and just used to buy anything I thought would fit me", Linda, of Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, continued.
"I love how I can find lot of clothes that will fit me now - I've said goodbye to those elasticated waist trousers."
And Linda has discovered a diet with greater variety since joining Weight Watchers (WW) in March 2018, and she favours her new balanced diet over her old eating habits.
While Linda creates her own "fakeaway" pizzas and curries, she is particularly pleased she can still enjoy "wine Saturdays".
Linda said: "My treat is wine and every Saturday I have what I like to call 'wine Saturday'.
"I save up some of my points so I can have a few glasses of wine as a treat.
"The WW plan has been great for me and my consultant Bev has been amazing in supporting me throughout it all.
"You're never too old to lose weight. I'm 66 now and I feel heathier than I have in a long time.
"I love the food I eat now and even if it wasn't for losing weight I would chose to eat the way I do now because it's so much more healthier."
