Milton Keynes woman who ate three packets of pastries for breakfast loses an amazing 11 stone

Jane Hammonds has plummeted from 20 stone to 9 stone 3lb and looks so different that even her own friends have failed to recognise her.

This week her efforts, which have taken her from a size 24/26 to a size 8/10, have earned her a Slimming World Club 50 award to celebrate the weight loss club's 50th birthday.

Jane, who is 50, had been overweight for 20 years, when she first joined Slimming World. Her daily diet consisted of croissants, Danish pastries and pain au chocolat for breakfast, crisps, sandwiches and chocolate bread for lunch, and pizza and ice cream for dinner.

This was all washed down with copious cans of energy drinks.

She said: “My weight impacted on so many aspects of my life, from struggling to find clothes that I like to fit, to not being able to do simple everyday tasks without feeling tired and out of breath.”

At 20 stone, Jane felt constantly tired and would get breathless at the slightest exertion. Now she loves exercise and has even run two marathons.

“I feel like a new woman since losing weight,” she said.

"In fact, I look so different that people who I haven’t seen for a while often can’t believe I’m the same person.

“For me though it’s the change on the inside that’s been the greatest – I’m happier, healthier and much more confident now.

“Before I lost weight, I hated having my photo taken and whenever I saw pictures of myself, I didn’t feel like my smile was real – yet now I’m beaming!"

Jane joined the New Bradwell Slimming World group and followed its Food Optimising eating plan.

She said: "People think slimming means going hungry, eating nothing but salad or obsessively counting every calorie you eat, but it’s not like that at all at Slimming World.

“I love food and it’s never once felt like I was on ‘a diet’ – in fact, people are always surprised at how much food I have on my plate and can’t believe I’m losing weight eating so much without ever feeling hungry.

"I still enjoy all my favourite meals like burgers and chips and roast dinners, but I’ve learned how to make small changes like using lean meat or cooking with low calorie spray instead of oil or butter. It fits in so well with the rest of my family and we can all eat the same meals. I know that I haven’t ‘gone on a diet’, this is a change that I’ve made for life and I have the tools I need to stay like this forever.”

Jane's typical menu before was:

Breakfast - Red bull, croissants (multiple), Danish pastries, pain au chocolat

Lunch - Crisps, sandwiches and chocolate

Dinner - Large dominoes pizza, dough balls, chicken kickers and tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

This is what she eats on a typical day now:

Breakfast - porridge and fruit

Lunch - Jacket potato, prawns and salad

Dinner - Burger in a Bowl with Slimming World-style chips