ONE glance at her sister's wedding photos was enough to convince Cheryl Roberts that her life had to change.

The 33-year-old Stourbridge school dinner lady was tipping the scales at a whopping 25 stone 4lb and it showed.

Cheryl admitted: "The pictures weren't flattering, in fact it didn't look good at all. It was horrendous. I looked at the photos and thought ... am I really that big?

"I was living life to the full. But it was also getting to the point, where I was wondering what clothes were going to fit me next."

Four years later, Cheryl has shed a massive 13-and-a-half stone from her frame and now weighs a slender 11-and-a-half stone .

The transformation is staggering and hasn't gone unnoticed.

She was nominated by her fitness instructor Gemma Calvert for the 2015 National Fitness Awards where she was short-listed down to the final six and attended a prestigious awards ceremony at The Athena in Leicester.

Also nominated for an award was Cheryl's gym, The Fitness Factory in Bradley Road which finished in the top six of the Community Involvement and Regional Gyms (Midlands) category.

Cheryl, from Norton, said: "My friend recently had a baby and wanted to attend the Zumba classes at The Fitness Factory to get herself back in shape again and asked me if I'd go with her.

"I really didn't want to go, and couldn't bare the thought of people looking at me. But I didn't want to let my friend down either.

"When I finally summoned up the courage to go, I loved it. We went once a week and then twice a week.

"I lost five stone by going to the Zumba classes over the next two years. Then I was encouraged to join Slimming World. Between the two of them, the weight simply flew off and it gets to the point where it becomes addictive.

"As the weight came off, I became more confident and started doing other things like spin classes and boot camp.

"Now, I'm the disappearing dinner lady at Gigmill School. I still attend the gym three times a week and I've no intention of slowing down."

Cheryl's fitness instructor Gemma Craven added: "Cheryl's story shows just what can be achieved. Her weight has fluctuated at times and it's taken four years to reach this point. But having been a size 30 to 32, she's now a size 14."