An Ingol woman has told of how she piled on the pounds while studying at university.

Lauren Hemmingfield gained two and a half stone during the first two years of her degree.

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Starting her final year she was plagued with self-doubt and finding excuses to get out of social situations because of her weight.

Lauren, now 23, was studying in Liverpool at Sir Paul McCartney’s fame school the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.

No longer doing dance classes and suffering from the stress of the course she turned to late night snacks while deadlines approached.

It was a summer holiday that triggered Lauren into action. She arrived home and instantly deleted every photo from the trip, ashamed of her bulging figure. She was approaching 14 stone.

One of Lauren’s holiday pictures

She moved home for her final year of studying and began to work on shifting the pounds.

Joining the local Slimming World group saw her losing two to three pounds per week, she’s now at 11 stone 13 pounds. And is targeting a size 12 dress size.

She said: “I just can’t believe I could still have a daily fry up if I wanted – and still lose weight.”

“I feel so much more awake and have started to live happily again for the first time in nearly three years. I’m no longer one of the worrying statistics.”

Lauren now and ready to face the final part of her degree

Lauren’s now launching her own Slimming World group.

It takes place on Mondays at the Parish Church of St Margaret in Tag Line, Ingol from 7.30pm. The first session is on Monday 28 December.