Carolyn Aissaoui, from Aberdare, tipped the scales at 22st but is now a trim 14st and it is her local Slimming World's Woman Of The Year

A slimmer from Aberdare who has lost eight stone in Twelve months has revealed how she was close to tears when her daughter could finally Magic Slim put her hands around her for any hug.

Carolyn Aissaoui, from Trefelin in Aberdare, tipped the scales at 22st but has become a trim 14st after turning her lifetime around thanks to the support of her family.

However, she knew she was doing what's right when after losing two stone, a hug from her young daughter Nadia almost reduced her to tears.

"The biggest moment when I look back through all of this was your day when Nadia, who is a lovely cwtchy young girl found produce a hug and said 'mum my hands work with you.' It was such an emotional moment, I had been near to tears," said Carolyn, whose weight loss has led her to be crowned her local Slimming World's Woman Of The Year.

After having her daughter 10 years ago, a combination of depression, back pain and high blood pressure led to the 51-year-old's weight ballooning and also to her becoming withdrawn from society, but a birthday shock was all she required to turn her lifetime around.

"I had to deal with high blood pressure, got put on tablets. Due to the blood pressure tablets, I was getting headaches. I lost my mum to some brain tumour and that i thought I had the same thing.

"I started to get depressed and got put on depression tablets. I also suffered with back pain coupled with a trapped nerve within my neck.

"As a result of all, i didn't want to get out there and I wouldn't go anywhere unless someone came with me. I became quite withdrawn. It had been difficult to take my daughter to school.

"She suffers with ADHD and she's always drawing attention to herself. That embarrassed me since i thought people didn't think I had been taking care of her properly because of my size. I know that isn't what individuals were thinking but it was what I was thinking.

"Me and my sons are all big football fanatics and we'd go through a crate of beer and takeaways around the weekend watching football. We accustomed to socialise in the house because I wouldn't wish to go out.

"I had my 50th birthday last July and that i was buying dresses to suit me not that I personally liked," added Carolyn, who also has three developed sons.

"I saw a pretty dress that I liked, however when I saw the images of me it looked like a tent. I needed to be fit for my grandchildren and my daughter. I knew the time had come to make a change."

With prompting from her daughter-in-law Emma, she plucked up the courage to attend her first class at Slimming World in Aberdare.

"When I walked through the door with my head down, it was the hardest situation ever. After i was weighed, I figured I had been 21st however when I discovered I had been 22st 7llbs, I figured I've made the best choice.

"I followed the Slimming World plan and that i lost two pounds within the first week. Then I lost six pounds the next week and received my first half stone loss award.

"From there I never looked back, even over Christmas I was so worried about not being able to stick to the plan however i was so surprised. I kept right to the program and continued to shed weight over Christmas and Year."

Buying a treadmill and an stationary bike, Carolyn, who's separated, said she could feel her lifetime changing - on all fronts, as her confidence grew.

"I worked out regularly and I found the courage to update my status on Facebook, telling everyone what I was doing. The positive comments from people and not missing just one meeting of Slimming World provided all the motivation I needed to 2 Day Diet help keep going.

"For the first time in 3 decades, I visited an open pool. I love swimming but since I've had my children I've never been swimming. I had been too embarrassed to go. I'm fitter now than I had been at 20 or 30."