Towards the end of last year Cannock Shopping Centre manager Lauren Sheldon had resigned herself to the fact she was going to be fat for the rest of her life and gave away all her slim clothes to charity.

At 16st 4lb and just 5ft 4in, her health was deteriorating with serious illnesses looming and her confidence and happiness suffered.

But after shedding five and a half stones in less than six months, a revitalised Lauren, aged 27, has been inspired to become a dieting counsellor. “I had reached a point like so many people where I had tried lots of diets and failed which made me eat more and then start another diet with even more weight to loose,” she said.

“I had even developed gall stones and was facing developing diabetes and other weight related illnesses”.

Lauren had reached a size 24 and put her weight gain down to her desk job and being too busy to exercise.

“I knew I was in the prime of my life and should be confident and happy but I only left the house to go to work and this was effecting my young daughter, Eve, who is two, and my marriage.” Today, weighing in at 10st 10lb, things couldn’t be more different as Lauren has shrunk to a size 12 and re-discovered the confidence she thought she had lost for good.

She said: “I was inspired when I saw a Cambridge counsellor featured in the press who had lost a lot of weight and I called her.

“It was the best decision I have ever made, I met my counsellor the same day and three weeks later had lost more than a stone.”

Lauren, from Lloyd Street in Cannock, followed the Cambridge Diet and is still loosing weight. After her counsellor Rose Woodward had spent some time with her, inspired Lauren qualified as a counsellor in February.

Anyone interested in discussing weight loss with Lauren should e-mail her at cannockcambridgediet@yahoo.co.uk or call 07947 390900 or 01543 468074.