STEPHANIE Cheney burst into tears when she tried on a shop's biggest pair of trousers - and still couldn't get into them.

Feeling embarrassed and ashamed, she decided there and then to fight the flab.

Eighteen months later, office worker Stephanie, 24, has shed nearly eight stones and can now slip into size 12 clothes instead of the size 20 she used to buy.

She started to pile on the pounds at the age of 20 and within two years had ballooned to 18st 6lb.

Now after a strict regime of dieting and exercise, she tips the scales at 10st 10lb.

Stephanie, of Ryedale Way, Selby, says her fiance, Nick Petch, is delighted with the transformation.

She said: "He thinks he's got a new woman and he has - it's given me a new lease of life."

Stephanie said she no longer gets out of breath when walking the dog and the weight loss has also helped her asthma.

She said: "I love swimming, but I would never go because I was too self-conscious. My self-esteem was so low that I used to walk down the street with my head down.

"Now instead of hiding away in the house, I go swimming regularly, as well as dancing. It's wonderful."

She added: "The breaking point was when I walked into a shop and tried on the biggest pair of trousers they had, only to find they wouldn't fit me. I just burst into tears."

It was then she joined her local Weightwatchers group, at Selby Rugby Club, and switched to a low-fat diet.

Stephanie said: "Instead of a plate of chips, I now have a plate of vegetables. I feel healthier and I've got a lot more energy."

Updated: 13:46 Saturday, November 02, 2002