A Burton mum said she knew she had to lose weight when she was just months away from her 50th birthday and only had two pairs of jeans that still fit her.

Linda Phillips, 51, from Stretton, first started losing weight when she first joined Weight Watchers in 2009.

Within 10 months, she had lost two and a half stone and reached her target weight.

She managed to maintain her weight for more than a year and began thinking she could do it on her own

That proved to be her biggest mistake as she eventually put the weight back on, plus an additional stone, reaching her heaviest weight of 13st 2lbs.

In 2016, Linda, who works in IT, made the decision to return to Weight Watchers hoping she would return to her lower weight.

The mum-of-two said there were two main things motivating her to lose the weight.

At her largest, Linda had just two pairs of trousers she could fit in

"Firstly, I only had two pairs of trousers - a large size 16 - that fitted me. So I had two choices - go out and buy size 18 or lose weight.

"It was also nine months before my 50th birthday and I decided I did not want to be 50 and fat!"

She now weighs 9st 11lbs and wears a size 10, meaning she can say goodbye to the two pairs of size 16 trousers she once was stuck wearing.

While Linda didn't gorge on large fatty meals, she said her downfall came because of her constant snacking.

She said: "If there were cakes in the office, I would be first in the queue. On long drives I would have a big bag of sweets or popcorn on the passenger seat.

"I would have bags of chocolate while watching TV or big lumps of cheese straight from the fridge.

"I thought nothing of popping into McDonald's or Greggs for a 'snack'.

"I was an emotional eater - I could kid myself because my main meals were often not too bad. But the snacking was really out of control."

Linda Phillips has dropped three dress sizes

Now Linda snacks on lots of fruit, the occasional small bag of crisps or Weight Watchers biscuits.

Since rejoining Weight Watchers, Linda says her confidence has come back and she is much happier than she ever was before.

She said: "I feel far more confident again now the weight is back off. I am happy going out wearing clothes that I would never have dreamt of wearing before.

"I was diagnosed with a fibromyalgia last summer which causes joint and muscle pain, making exercise difficult. The weight loss has made it easier to deal with my symptoms. I hate to think how I would feel on a daily basis if I was still overweight."

Vicki Roberts, Linda's coach at Weight Watchers, said: "Linda's journey has been inspirational.

"She never fails to come to her meeting at Burton Library on a Saturday morning, and this has been an important part of her success.

"Linda always supports the others in the meeting and has had clear goals from the beginning.

"She's amazing and a real life example of what changing eating habits and embracing a healthy lifestyle can achieve.

"We are very proud of her."

Vicki lost 107lbs to get to her goal in 2016 and now runs seven meetings in Burton including a new one at 5.15pm on a Thursday at Burton Library.

What Linda eats: then and now

Then, at her heaviest

Breakfast: Slice of buttered toast and two hash browns

Lunch: Sandwich made with thick bread, often filled with cheese, and a packet of crisps

Dinner: Pasta with lots of cheese and garlic bread, processed chicken and oven chips

Now at a healthy size 10

Breakfast: Beans on toast with no butter or banana pancakes with fresh fruit and fat-free yoghurt

Lunch: Homemade stir fry, chicken sandwich made with thin bread, homemade soup or a salad

Dinner: Measured pasta with a homemade sauce and a small sprinkling of low fat cheese