A WREXHAM mum has transformed her life by losing almost half her body weight.

Niki Byrne, who was sick of being ‘the biggest mum’ on the school gates, has lost nearly eight stone.

In 2004, Niki, 46, weighed 19 stone. She decided that she would be more of a fun mum if she could be more mobile, and set on a path to lose the excessive weight she was carrying.

She joined a local Weight Watchers group and within 18 months, the Borras resident had lost an astonishing six and a half stone.

Niki Byrne said: “I was sick of being the biggest Mum I knew. When I first joined Weight Watches, my son was 2 years old and I was sick of being the biggest Mum I knew. I only shopped at certain stores, buying clothes because they fitted, struggling to get around and basically, not living life to the full.

“I had researched the different weight loss plans available and decided that Weight Watchers would fit in best with my life. I looked up where and when the nearest meeting to me was and was pleased to find that there was one just down my road; however it took another 2 months before I plucked up the courage to go along to it.

“I was convinced I would be the biggest there, and everyone would stare, and I wouldn’t fit in, but how wrong could I have been?

“I made some really good friends at this meeting and found that following Weight Watchers was not all about cutting out everything I loved and just eating salad and basically being miserable to reach the end goal of getting thin.

“I was surprised to find I was actually enjoying it, and eating more but healthier food in general.

Just 18 months later, she had shed 6.5 stone. But Niki then tried to monitor her weight at home, something she deems to be a big mistake.

The Systems Administrator for Wrexham Council added: ‘’I really needed the discipline of being weighed at a meeting and the support being a member of a group brings with it. If a couple of days went badly I would think, ‘oh well I will start again on Monday’ and not bother weighing this week.

“I half heartedly followed the plan for the next couple of years, gradually putting a little bit more weight on than I was actually losing and then started getting problems with my Achilles tendons which slowed me down even more as I ended up having 4 operations and couldn’t really focus on following a plan.’’

She eventually decided to join a slimming club in Gresford in 2016, and recently found she had reached her ultimate goal of 100lbs.

Niki said: “To say I am ecstatic is an understatement. I have taken my time and have not given up anything, wine and cheese included. I love my workshop; I have made some amazing friends. Everyone is so welcoming.”