A WOMAN has lost more than her current body weight to be crowned a slimming champion.

Rebecca Fyfe was voted as Bristol’s district winner of Slimming World’s Woman of the Year competition on Sunday having lost nearly 10 stone.

Rebecca, from Bradley Road, Upper Stratton, joined Slimming World classes at St John’s Church, Haydon Wick, in May 2008 when she was 12 weeks pregnant with her seventh child and was suffering from dangerously high blood pressure.

Since then she has since lost 9st 12.5lbs and her husband, Robert, has also lost in the region of seven stone.

Together they were runners-up in the finals of Slimming World’s Couple of the Year competition earlier this year.

To lose weight Rebecca, who is originally from California, used a cross trainer for an hour a day, five days a week, and also took her border collie for long walks, as well as attending classes held by consultant Sharon Painter.

She will now represent the district, along with Ms Painter, at Slimming World’s national semi-finals in Derbyshire, on Sunday, October 10. She will be competing for one of 10 places in the finals which are being held in Birmingham on November 13, where the winner will be announced at the Slimming World Woman of the Year Ball which is being compared this year by Justin Lee Collins.

The prize for the winner is an all inclusive seven-night spa break in Cancun, Mexico.

Rebecca said: “It’s such a huge amount of weight to lose – I lost more than what I weigh now.

“I absolutely recommend Slimming world I have tried lots of ways but the smaller targets made it so much easier.

“I wish everyone who is really overweight can get out there and do something about it.

“If I can do it anyone can. My family love the change – they are really proud and are constantly telling me that.”

Also representing Swindon at the district finals were Carly Green, having lost 3st 10lbs in 16 weeks from Sharon Painter’s morning group and Laura Fisher who has lost 4st 1.5lb for her wedding earlier this year, from Ms Painter’s other Haydon Wick group.

Slimming World is helping 300,000 people, men, women and young adults, every week lose weight with 21 women competing at the regional finals having lost 110 stone between them. There will be about 50 women representing 35 districts at Alfreton, Derby.