Susan's half the woman she used to be after diet

But the desire to squeeze into a new outfit proved to be enough to put one Newtongrange mother on the track to weight loss success.

Over the past 18 months, Susan Melville, a child support worker, dropped a whopping 10st 2lbs, going from a size 28 to size 10.

She admits to struggling with her weight for the past 20 years, but until recently lacked the willpower to do anything about it.

She said: "I've been married for 23 years now and it's a case of having a nice lifestyle and the weight gradually creeping on.

"I was avoiding events - things would come up and I knew I couldn't wear anything nice and that I'd look like the biggest person there.

"Nobody would have thought that I wasn't confident inside, but I was unhappy because of my size."

Susan's weight loss was so dramatic that the 43-year-old was recently selected as the only Scottish representative to compete in Slimming World's Woman of the Year awards. Although she was pipped at the post by another entrant who managed to shed 15 stone, Susan said the fact she had achieved her target weight was enough of a reward.

"Since losing the weight there's been a big change in me, now I'm more confident and I go everywhere with my head held high," she said.

Susan said she had attempted "loads" of diets in the past, and never expected to drop the equivalent of half her body weight.

But changes to her diet and exercise patterns and guidance meant that this time when the weight came off, it stayed off.

"Because I had such a large amount of weight to lose, I did it half a stone at a time. I never thought of the bigger picture," she said.

"When you lose half a stone, you get a foil sticker. Getting another one and another one kept you going. Before I knew it my target was in sight, I was gobsmacked about it."