Maureen Gibson (55), of Langlees was galvanised into losing weight last year when she tipped the scales at 19 stone and struggled to fit into a plane seat.

"It had been an issue over the last few years," she said. "I always had problems getting into seats but it really set me on my way last year.

"I could hardly get the table down and, when I did, I could only have it sitting on my big belly.

''It was so uncomfortable I knew I needed to something drastic."
Maureen, who works at the deli counter at the Carron Co-op decided to take matters into her own hands.

Instead of joining a diet programme she created her own plan.

"I made my spare room into a gym which had a treadmill, an exercise bike and other machines and I do that six days a week myself," she said.

"Then I started keeping to a diet I set myself.

''Every Saturday morning without fail I weigh myself to see what I have lost and after 10 months I have shed nearly eight stone."

Losing the unwanted pounds has made a massive difference to Maureen's
life and was a nice surprise for her family when they saw the results.

"Last week I did an eight-mile sponsored walk which I would never have been able to do this time last year," she said.

"And when my grandchildren came to visit in January, they all thought it was brilliant. It's completely changed my life and I feel terrific."

Word has quickly spread of Maureen's remarkable achievement and now she wants to pass on her methods to inspire others to get in shape.

"The diet was things that I just ate anyway and if you look at it you are getting a bit of everything," she said. "But I have had so many people come up – most of them around the 40-50 age group – to ask me about it, I have ran out of copies.

"I had a couple come up to me in the store who had followed my diet and lost a stone each.

"I proved you are never too old to do it or the exercise," she added. "All you need is sheer will power."

Proud husband Jack (68), said: "We have been married 31 years and it wouldn't matter if she was fat or thin. But I think she has done very well.

"To do that herself, off her own back was absolutely marvellous. I am very proud of her."