A woman, 44, shed five stone and dropped six dress sizes during incredible weight loss transformation

Keeley Hunter, 44, from Lancashire, saw her weight creep up to 15 stone after the birth of her second child.

Squeezing into a size 22 dress, the dieter had turned to unhealthy convenient foods as a source of comfort and her weight continued to creep up.

She said: "Takeaways were my go-to, especially Indian and kebabs, because I just didn’t want to face cooking. Then some days I wasn't even having a meal. I was just snacking on crisps and junk.

"Then at night, after I had fed the kids and the boredom kicked in, I’d sit down with a brew and easily eat half a pack of biscuits, and I’d often indulge in a large bar of Dairy Milk chocolate at night."

Keeley tried and failed various diets, struggling to stick to restrictive plans. However, following a high-protein diet and reducing portion sizes finally helped the slimmer to lose weight.

As well as a healthy diet, she opted for gastric sleeve surgery, which she had done at Weight Loss Riga in Latvia.

Weight loss surgeries such as a gastric band can help those who are overweight and it involves a band being surgically placed around the stomach.

It helps people to feel fuller and therefore eat less, but the decision to do this should not be taken lightly.

Gastric bands must be combined with a healthy diet plan to work effectively and Keeley shared the high-protein foods she likes to tuck into.

She continued: "Today I started with a protein shake which I drank in the car on the way to work.

"Lunch was high-protein leftovers from the night before, homemade beef stroganoff with vegetables and mash, and dinner was homemade chicken curry. Snack-wise, I'll reach for something cold and savoury such as olives."

Protein can help with weight loss as it is satiating, helping slimmers to feel full while eating less. It is also key for helping to build muscle.

Registered dietitian at Dietitian Fit Reema Pillai shared some of the best high-protein foods for weight loss results.

Reema said: "Focus on having a lean high-quality protein at each meal, such as chicken breast, tuna, Greek yoghurt or tofu.

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"Again, these foods are not naturally high in overall calories, but the high protein content will help satiate you for a long time, as the protein takes a long time to digest."

Keeley has managed to find a way of eating that is healthy and that works for her. Now she is looking forward to her wedding knowing she is confident having all eyes on her on the big day.

The slimmer added: "I was dreading our wedding because I thought I was going to have all these people looking at me, watching my every move, and I couldn’t think of anything worse.

"Whereas now, I see that I look a million dollars in my dream wedding dress, and I just can't wait to wear it and walk down the aisle."

Reflecting on her experience, Keeley shared she would not change what she has done and wishes she had started early.

She said: "The only regret I've got is that I didn't do it years ago. I've wasted so much of my life dieting and being unhappy in a vicious circle."