TEACHER Cheryl Whaley finally decided to fight the flab when she could no longer fit into her classroom chair.

Cheryl, 35, of North Duffield, near Selby, had piled on weight and having a baby had added even more pounds.

The final straw was when she returned to her school - Hempland Primary in York - to show off her new daughter, Anna, who is now 19 months.

Cheryl said: "My chair at school has arms on it and I just couldn't squeeze into it, no matter how hard I tried.

"I ended up having to sit on one of the children's chairs which has no arms. It was very embarrassing and I decided there and then that something had to be done."

Cheryl, who also has a six-year-old son, Thomas, is now half the woman she used to be - and she's delighted.

After joining her local Weightwatchers club at Barlby, she has shed more than five stones and now weighs in at a trim 8st 10lb.

Her dress size has gone down from a 22 to a ten - and, she says proudly, she can even get into size eight trousers.

"I now eat one biscuit instead of a packetful, but the main thing is I have swapped high-fat foods for low-fat," said Cheryl.

"I buy low-fat crisps and can eat loads of roast potatoes, because I make them by using soy sauce and spray oil.

"I used to get out of breath when I was walking, my back hurt and I was too embarrassed to go swimming, because I felt everybody was looking at me.

"Now I feel great - I'm proud of myself and I can easily fit into my teacher's chair."

Her new look has proved a real slimline tonic for both Cheryl and her husband, John, a builder.

She added: "I've now got the figure back I had when we first met. It's wonderful feeling normal again."

Updated: 10:23 Saturday, June 16, 2001