LIKE many students, Rosie Hucklesby lived off fast foods and ready meals.

Rosie, 25, had a daily commute to London to attend the University of East London where she was reading creative and professional writing with media studies, meaning even more “grab and go” foods.

Deciding she had had enough, Rosie went along to the Colchester Slimming World group in January 2013.

She said: “I famously hated having my photo taken and what spurred me on to join Slimming World was being fed up of living on the sideline, constantly conscious about my weight.

“I was also constantly tired and horribly unfit.”

Rosie, who lived in Claremont Heights, Colchester before moving recently to Chelmsford, was shocked to discover she tipped the scales at 12 stone 3.5lbs, despite measuring a petite 5ft 2in.

“I remember all these recipes being shared and thinking you can’t eat all that and lose weight,” she added.

“So I went away to prove it wouldn’t work.

“I learned how to enjoy the same favourite meals I was eating before – big bowls of carbonara, chilli con carne, curries and roast dinners to name just a few.

“If I got stuck or needed extra help I knew that each Saturday morning the group would help me get through.

“I always said I wanted to be healthier and as long as the general direction of weight was going down I was happy.”

Graduating in November at a size she was happy with meant the world to her and on the first Saturday of 2015, Rosie achieved her dream weight of 9 stone 7lbs.

“It’s different for me now. I’m active and physically more healthy, but more importantly I’m not hiding away and isolated.

“I’m happier, healthier and still buzzing for getting to my target weight.”