A POOLE woman has gone from fat to fit after dropping six dress sizes in just a year.

Lisa Hathaway, 44, had battled with a weight problem for most of her life, but piled on extra pounds after giving up smoking in 2008.

She also had a thyroid problem, which caused her depression, tiredness and anxiety and made her over-eat.

Lisa lost her confidence, gave up her jobs as a cleaner and self-employed nail technician and could not work for nearly two years.

“Depression took over and I had no confidence, so I ate and ate and ate,” she recalled.

She discovered her health problems were caused by a thyroid stimulating hormone and, after 14 months of herbal remedies, she started to regain her confidence and went back to work in summer 2010.

But although she was getting her health and wellbeing back on track, her weight was still far from ideal. “I didn’t realise just how big I had got until I saw a photograph of myself at a barbecue to celebrate the Royal Wedding in April 2011,” she said.

After a nail client recommended the Rosemary Diet and Fitness Club in Bourne-mouth, Lisa – who struggled to walk uphill without feeling out of breath – joined up.

She had previously lost weight with Rosemary Conley classes in the 1990s.

The mixture of exercise and support worked its magic. Lisa, who started off at 16st 8lb and a size 20, shed a stone in the first month and reached her goal weight in April last year.

Since then, she has continued to attend classes and has lost some extra pounds.

She now weighs 10st 10lb and takes a size 10.

She walks to work each day and no longer struggles to walk uphill.

“I could not have achieved the weight loss without the help and support of the classes.

“You make lots of new friends and the support from the instructor and other members is brilliant,” she said.