A 27-year-old from Brackley is half the woman she once was after losing more than nine stone over two-and-half years.
Laura Cilia, a member of the Brackley Weight Watchers group has weighed around 20 stone for all of her adult life, while at the same time managing a borderline personality disorder (BPD).
With 13 per cent of the UK population suffering some form of personality disorder she hopes her story will show others there is a way out of the cycle of depression and weight gain.
She said: “I probably seem completely normal most of the time. But I’m not better and there are days I just can’t drag myself out of bed and into reality. But the weight loss has had a massive affect on how I feel and it’s changed so much for me.
“Most press about weight loss is about how it makes you look better. But there’s little about how it makes you feel. I used to be that person who drove past joggers on my way to the chip shop, thinking, ‘They must be mad.’ But now I love running.
“It’s about not feeling frumpy or hot and sweaty all the time, or dreading plane flights because the seats are too small. One of the biggest changes is my boyfriend found he can now put his arms around me for a hug.”
Weight Watchers group leader Linda Stanton said in her 14 years she had rarely seen such a drastic weight loss and added: “To see someone like Laura lose so much is an absolutely fantastic result and I am extremely proud of her.”
Contact Mrs Stanton on 01327 359021 or for advice on BPD visit www.psox.org/ocns.