IT'S a lot of weight is off the mind for a Didcot woman after she managed to shed three and a half stone in just over a year following a determined weight loss regime.

But Laura Dix is not going to keep her secrets of success to herself, and will be running her own Slimming World next month.

She said: "I am so excited to be helping other people.

"I want them to be confident and healthy and show them that anything is possible.

"I never thought I would be able to lose so much weight when I first started and it really has not only transformed me but my lifestyle."

Mrs Dix said her low point came when she got stuck in a soft play roller while playing with her daughter.

She said: "That 10 minutes were the longest of my life and the feeling of being a total failure when my daughter was trying with all her might to set me free.

"She was pushing and pulling and saying 'come on mummy.'

"My confidence hit rock bottom."

But her 'all-time low point' came when she struggled to conceive for a second baby.

She added: "A routine trip to the hospital with the doctor telling me he was surprised he could even see my ovaries because the BMI was so high hit me like a train.

"It was my fault I couldn't extend our family and it was my unhealthy diet that caused these problems.

"My dad had taken a photo of me on his phone and when he showed it to me I truly saw how much weight I had gained.

"I had blamed having a baby for the weight gain but nearly three years later I was still eating for two."

From inflicting the cabbage diet and meal replacement methods on herself in a bid to lose weight, Mrs Dix found that nothing would really stick until a friend posted on social media saying she had lost five stone with group Slimming World.

She said: "I felt so scared and nervous walking into a group for the first time and I was worried I was going to be judged because I had a lot of weight to lose.

"But it was not like that, everyone was so lovely and welcoming, after all we are all there for the same reason.

"At the beginning I felt a little intimidated at the thought of cooking from scratch, but now whipping up homemade meals is second nature."

In total Mrs Dix has lost 40 inches from her body and has been maintaining her target now for eight months.

She added: "I've become a happier person and in turn a better mum and friend.

"I'm not tired all the time or out of breath doing the smallest task."

Mrs Dix's new group will start on Monday, April 17 at Didcot Baptist Church at 7.30pm.

For more information visit: facebook.com/lauradixslimmingworld