Obese mum who shed NINE STONE is planning her best ever Christmas… although she’ll only eat half as much

MANY of us can't help over-indulging at Christmas, but one mum has vowed never to do so again.

Mandy Shipley, 45, has lost 9st 7lb and is planning the first festive season she's actually looked forward to with her son Bobby.

At her heaviest Mandy was 20st 8.5lb, and her weight meant she hated the mountains of food available over December.

"Of course I’ve always made a fuss at Christmas because of Bobby.  But deep down, I hated it," she said.

“I over-ate every year and I would end up feeling angry and disappointed with myself. Of course I couldn’t wear any party clothes or nice dresses because nothing fit me.

“But this year, I plan to celebrate.

“The funny thing is, I’ll be eating half as much but having twice as much fun!”

Mandy, from Ruthin, North Wales, had been overweight since she was three years old and she was viciously bulled for her size at school.

By the time she left she was 5’6” and weighed 14st.

“I felt like I was judged because of my weight so I just turned to food for comfort. It was a vicious circle," she said.

“I had a sweet tooth and I loved sugar.  On bad days, I’d eat more – chocolates, crisps and cakes.”

In March 2006, Mandy and her partner had a son, Bobby.

She used her pregnancy as an excuse to eat more, and after his birth she suffered depression.

As that lifted and her bond with her baby increased, Mandy started to think more about her size.

“Bobby was my whole world. For the first time, I had someone in my life to look after, someone who needed me," she said.

“By this time, I was over 20 stones and I hated my size.

“I was happy being a mum but not happy with who I was, and times like Christmas just made me realise how much I needed to change my life.

“I decided I needed to do something about it and I joined Slimming World on June 26, 2015.

“The hardest part was actually walking through the doors to the first meeting. I was almost crying with shame."

The healthy-eating plan has helped her drop the pounds though, and Mandy is now just over 11st.

It encourages people to swap unhealthy food for a diet high in fruit and vegetables.

“I am much more confident than I was," she said.

"After always being overweight I never thought I’d be where I am now. I’m so proud of myself.

“I don't miss my old eating habits at all, or my old lifestyle.

“Best of all, I can’t wait for Christmas.”

We recently reported on Charlene Crawford, who lost 14st after realising she was so big her boyfriend couldn't cuddle her.