PEOPLE have been seeing a lot less of Newport mum Sue Chandler recently.

But the 52-year-old says she has never felt more outgoing and confident after shedding an incredible nine stone.

Now she is being hailed as "an inspiration" to people wanting to lose weight after dropping a staggering eight dress sizes from a 26 to a ten.

The mother-of-two said: "People no longer recognise me as I look so different. I am more confident and not afraid to try out new things. I used to sit in the corner and say nothing, now I will speak out."

Mrs Chandler joined her local WeightWatchers group in September 2000 at St Julius and Aaron Church Hall in Heather Road, St Julians, Newport, after her weight ballooned to more than 17 stone.

In her first week she lost seven pounds and by her 12th week she had lost 27 pounds. By April 2001 she had lost 50 pounds and has since more than doubled her weight loss and spent hundreds of pounds on a new wardrobe.

"I just have so much energy and strength now. I don't know where it comes from, but I feel great and if I can do it then I know that so many other people out there can do it too.

"My downfall used to be snacking. I would hardly ever eat a proper meal. It wasn't that I used to eat a lot.

"It was just every time I had a coffee I would have a couple of biscuits or cakes and that went on through the day."

Rather than forking out expensive gym fees, Mrs Chandler, of Tudor Road, St Julian's, has her own DIY guide to exercise.

"I didn't want to pay to join a gym, so I just power walk from my house to town, use the stairs to do step aerobics and do arm exercises with tins of beans. It used to take me an hour to walk to town and I would be so exhausted I would have to get the bus back. Now it just takes me 15 minutes."

Her WeightWatchers leader Janet Hawkins said: "Sue really is an inspiration. She can now stand in front of the class and tell her story. I am so proud of her as I am of all my members."