A SLIMMER has changed from a chocoholic to shopaholic after losing more than seven stone.

Linda Williams's weight has plummeted from just under 18 stone to 10st 10lb in less than a year.

Mrs Williams, 53, from Canvey, who is now a size ten instead of a size 26, is enjoying her new figure by spending time shopping for clothes instead of chocolate.

The mum-of-four has been overweight since she was a toddler and weighed more than 13st when she left school at 16 years old.

She said: "I was fat as far back as I can remember.

But she confesses her diet was keeping her overweight.

She said: "I'd eat nothing for breakfast, then for lunch I'd have fried bacon, egg, sausages and piles of toast and butter.

"In the afternoon, I'd buy a family pack of chocolate bars and eat the lot.

"Supper was always huge - meat pie and chips, or fish and chips, followed by cake. My husband and I would have half each of a huge cake.

But Mrs Williams managed to reach her goal weight in December 2007 and has maintained it weight since.

She joined the island's branch of the Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club, run by Cherie Ford, because she wanted to lose weight for her daughter's wedding which she managed.