Nursery nurse slimmed from 21 stone to just 12

It was the journey home from a family holiday in Majorca that proved the turning point for Debbie Murphy.

Weighing in at 21st 9lb, the nursery nurse struggled to fit in her plane seat and had trouble fastening her seatbelt.

And a doctor's appointment that soon followed also confirmed her worst fears – she was obese and her blood pressure was too high.

So the mother-of-one, from Thetford Gardens in Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, quickly embarked on a weight-loss campaign in a bid to slim down from her size 28-30 figure.

The 49-year-old enrolled in a slimming class at St Alban's Church in Ashmore Park, started taking her dog on long walks and also began Zumba.

Now, a little more than a year later, 5ft 11in Debbie has lost an incredible nine stones, weighing in at 12st 9lb and a dress size 14-16.

"I feel like a totally different person," said Debbie, who works at Dunstall Hill Primary School. "I have always struggled with my weight and it just crept up and up on me.

"But after the holiday in 2010, I was determined to do something. I got so upset seeing people in their bikinis and having fun and then I struggled to fit in the plane seat. It was embarrassing.

"But WeightWatchers was fantastic. Everyone was so supportive and that made such a difference to me."

Mrs Murphy, who is married to Des and has a 17-year-old daughter Grace, has completely changed her diet and also enjoys Zumba classes up to three times a week at Wednesfield Library.

"I am a different person now," she added. "The best thing about it is being able to go into shops and picking up clothes straight off the peg. That continues to be a real incentive."