A MUM-OF-TWO says she feels ten years younger after losing five stone in 29 weeks.

Before joining the Pocklington Slimming World group, Marcia Glover tipped the scales at 16 stone eight pounds and wore a dress size 20.

Now Marcia, 41, has dropped to 11 stone six pounds and can fit into the size 12 dress she wore for her 21st birthday party.

Marcia, who works at The Press’s offices in Walmgate as PA to the regional newspaper sales manager, said her sons Callum, aged three, and one-year-old Lewis, had been her motivation.

She said: “I didn’t want to be a mother who had to sit on the sidelines and watch. I wanted to be a mother who could run around with them.

“It has completely changed my life. My asthma has gone and I feel so much healthier and happier. I feel ten years younger.

“It’s like I’m a different woman. I’ve had to get rid of four or five bags of clothes to charity because they no longer fit and I can now walk with a friend and still have enough breath to talk.

“The other morning my son said to me: ‘Mummy, you are beautiful’.”

Marcia said she had ditched elasticated waistbands and ankle-length skirts and now had the confidence to show off her legs.

She said: “Last weekend I was playing with my boys in a ball pit and my wedding ring fell off because it doesn’t fit anymore. I’m taking it in to get the size changed.”

Marcia said she had been determined to lead a healthier lifestyle ever since her mother died aged 41 of ovarian cancer 22 years ago – but she hadn’t been able to shift the weight until now.

She said she had found the Slimming World programme easy to stick to because it still allowed you to eat plenty of food and not feel hungry.

She said: “My diet wasn’t that bad, but I did tend to eat a lot of convenience foods – pizzas and ready-made pies, that sort of thing.

“Now I cook proper meals like lasagnes and cottage pies. My husband, Christopher, has lost two-and-a-half stone too.”

Anybody who would like to join the Pocklington Slimming World group can phone Jayne on 01759 318997.