From fat to fantastic in time for Christmas!

After being mortified by last year’s Christmas photographs Kelly Jo Hearsey made it her New Year mission to slim down.

And the mum-of-two’s hard work has paid off, she has dropped five dress sizes and lost a third of her body weight to become a size eight and healthy nine stone ten pounds.

Professionl photographer Kelly, who lives in Calvert Green, ballooned to a size 18 and 15 stone after years of unhealthy eating on takeaways, chocs, crisps and sandwiches.

As a vegetarian carbs and cheese were her biggest enemy as replacements for meat and she tipped the scales at nearly 15st.

But the final straw came last year, when husband Glenn, 41, took a sneaky snap of her in front of her mountainous Christmas dinner.

Kelly, 40, says it made her feel sick when she looked at it and she decided to make the most important New Year’s resolution of her life.

And this year she is preparing to tuck in on Christmas Day with Glenn and kids Jay, 12, and Millie, 10, in full festive spirit.

She said: “Every time I saw a photograph of myself I felt fat and ashamed.

“I always shied away from the camera.

“When my husband showed me the Christmas dinner picture I felt horrible. I decided I needed a whole new mindset when it came to food.”

She added: “I used to walk past shop windows, glimpse my reflection and feel a huge wave of shame, guilt, horror and loathing.

“Now I have to do a double take and still can’t believe it’s me, I can’t get enough of looking in the mirror.

“I’ve have had to buy a whole new wardrobe for myself, it feels amazing to try on clothes and find they just fit so easily.

“My husband has always been so supportive of me, and has never really known me a different size, but I think he finds me more attractive now, though he’d never say it.”

Kelly followed the Ideal Weight diet which includes eating nutrition packs such as milkshakes, soups, meals and bars as replacements for meals.

She now just has one regular healthy meal in the evening which include low-carb salads and lots of veg.

She said: “It’s been so long since I’ve been this slim and I’m at the stage where I have to maintain the weight.

“But I’m going to enjoy Christmas this year and I won’t hold back, I really enjoy the time of year.”