A stunning woman has dropped six stone after getting stuck in a children’s rollercoaster – and now looks 15 years younger.
Donna Mitchell, 48, from Newcastle under Lyme, Staffs, reached a staggering 16 stone after snacking on chocolate biscuits and fast food.
After her waistline expanded to a dress size 18, the mum of two was left red faced after she got stuck in a children’s ride at Drayton Manor Theme Park.
And to make the situation even worse, her husband, Steve, 46, managed to capture the moment on his camera.
But this photo quickly became the motivation Donna needed to shed the pounds.
After ditching the sugary snacks and with the help of exercise the super slimmer has lost six stone – and now looks 15 years younger.
Now a slim size eight, Donna has re-joined her former band, Hollywood Nites, wearing a svelte corset and tutu, she feels more confident than ever as she performs on stage.
Donna, a teacher at the Royal Stoke hospital, said: “Finally after losing the weight not only do I feel 15 years younger but I look it too.
“At my heaviest I was bigger than my husband, Steve, and although it was really hard to accept, I couldn’t stop eating.
“I was on steroids at the time and they constantly made me hungry, I craved chocolate and biscuits and would eat high calorie foods to try and fill myself up.
“When I picked my son, Alex, eight, up from school I felt like his nan rather than his mum, I would hide my body in baggy clothes but that would make me look even bigger and older.
“The turning point for me was when I took the children to Drayton Manor, I couldn’t fit in one of the rides, I was so embarrassed I just had to wedge myself in next to my son, looking back at the photos I can hardly recognise myself.
“That was my lowest point and I knew I had to make a change so I joined Slimming World and within 16 months I lost nearly six stone.
“A few months into my weight loss journey my old band, Hollywood Nites, asked me to stand in for a gig and I haven’t left since.
“The outfits that I wear on stage are very revealing, I have a number of PVC corsets, tutus and thigh high boots that are very risqué but they make me feel young again and I have so much more confidence now.”
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After being prescribed steroids to treat a string of illness after her second pregnancy, Donna’s appetite dramatically increased overnight.
She added: “As soon as I started taking steroids I got bigger and bigger until I reached 16 stone, I had never had much of a sweet tooth before but I craved chocolate and biscuits all the time.
“No matter how much I ate I never felt full, for dinner I would eat a take away or a burger and chips and wash it all down with red wine.
“After being prescribed a second course of steroids my bad eating habits returned and my weight ballooned a second time, this time I weighed 15 and a half stone and I was wearing a size 16/18.
“Working in the school at the hospital the children all thought I was having a baby, I looked old and frumpy and didn’t really take care of my appearance.
“The lowest point for me was when I took my children to Drayton Manor, I had to squeeze myself into the seat of a roller-coaster, I was so humiliated.
“Steve took a picture on his camera and I was mortified at the state of my appearance.
“I hardly recognised myself, I would cover up in long jackets and trousers and that just wasn’t me, I knew I needed to change, not just for my health but for the sake of my happiness.”
Sixteen months ago Donna re-joined slimming world and after introducing exercise back into her life, the weight soon started to fall off once again.
Before becoming a teacher Donna performed with her band Hollywood Nites, and last year the group asked Donna to perform with them one last time.
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Donna said: “When I started to put on weight I never thought I would sing again, but when my old band got in touch and asked me to stand in for one night I thought why not – and I haven’t left since.
“The outfits that I wear on stage are very revealing for a woman of my age, but I feel great and have so much more confidence now.
“I now weigh 10 stone and I wear a size eight on top and a size 10 on my bottom half, I don’t have to worry about covering myself up anymore or even whether I will fit into rides at the theme parks.
“Losing the weight has definitely made me feel young again.”