SHE is quite literally half the woman she used to be.

Sheila Terry, a customer services officer at Christchurch Borough Council, has lost ten dress sizes since Christmas thanks to a new health regime.

Fed up with her aching joints and tiredness, Sheila, 62, from Ringwood, says the push she needed came from her son, who was shedding the pounds in time for his wedding this year.

“That was my target. I knew I had to do something when I tried on a size 22 coat at Christmas. I didn’t actually realise how big I had become – it was a bit of a shock to the system,” Sheila said. “My son and his fiancé were already trying the diet so I thought I’d join them.”

Sheila signed up to the Diet Chef regime, which prepares and delivers meals to your home.

After four weeks she had lost one stone, reaching her target of three stone two pounds lost in three months and she was soon able to slip into size 12 clothes.

She said: “I just feel completely different. I’ve had to get a new uniform for work and have been persuading colleagues who want to lose some weight to take it up.

“At my age I need to be careful – I was very worried about getting diabetes and I’d noticed how much my knee joints had started aching when I climbed the stairs. I had to do something.

“It’s made such a difference.

“I didn’t realise how much healthier I would feel.”