DEBBIE Kellett has been swept of her feet by her new fiancee, but just one year ago she would never have thought that possible.

Now, six and a half stones lighter and a shadow of her former self, Debbie, 28, is busy making plans for her engagement party in a fortnight.

She said: "I feel brilliant. A year ago I couldn't have imagined what the future had in store. I was over 16 stone and fed up with being frumpy."

Her overeating hit a peak three years ago when she reached 19 stones and the bubbly young woman, who works as a dog warden for South Ribble Council, lost all her confidence. After dropping three stones following a family bereavement she didn't lose any more. Then friends introduced her to a slimming club in Leyland and - to Debbie's surprise - the pounds started rolling off.

"My fiancee, John, can't believe I'm the same person. Even old school friends pass me in the street."

She met John on a blind date in May. After a whirlwind romance they are planning their wedding in August next year.

Before her diet, a typical lunch might have been four burgers and four slices of bread with fried tomatoes followed by snacks and chocolate treats all afternoon. "I never used to touch fruit at all," confessed Debbie, 28. "Now I eat lots, along with vegetables, chicken and fish."

She puts part of her success down to three training sessions a week at Reps Gym in Preston. "I have worked hard for this, but I do have weekends off," she joked.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.