TEN MONTHS ago, mum-of-five Marcia Clement was unhappy, unhealthy and weighed just under 25st.

But today she is enjoying "a new lease of life" with her young family after shedding half her body weight.

The Rogerstone mum now weighs 12st 12lbs and has dropped from a remarkable size 32 plus to a healthy size 12.

Mrs Clements, who has been supported by her husband Simon, 36, and five children, has spent her whole adult life weighing more than 20st.

At her maximum weight she weighed a staggering 30st.

Mrs Clements told the Argus how she suffered from depression throughout the early years of her children's lives because of her size-related lack of self-esteem.

She was unable to play a full part in their lives, often watching from the sidelines as her husband played with William, 12, Simon, 11, Alexander, 11, Georgia, 9, and Holly, 3.

Her weight exacerbated a serious knee and back problem from which she suffers and greatly restricted her mobility.

Even now she cannot bear to watch old holiday videos of herself because of her size.

But in April last year, she decided she did not want to be "fat and forty" and joined a Lighter Life programme.

After several failed diets she began to address her relationship with food through weekly counselling on Llanthewy Road.

For six months, she ate nothing but shakes, bars and soups four times a day as well as drinking four pints of water. The ice cream, crisps and cornflakes with cream that were her norm were completely off the menu.

Now she is working with counsellors to develop a healthy diet to suit her.

"I used to walk down the road with my head down.

There's only so many glances you can take when you know people are looking at you.

"But I walk around with my head up now. I am more confident and go out and about more.

"It has given me a new lease of life," she said.

Mrs Clement's huge change has also made a huge difference to the lives of her children.

She is now able to do more with her family, and for herself.

"I would watch the children playing but I couldn't take part. It is a big regret I have.

"The children have seen me every day while I've been losing the weight. The biggest shock comes when they give me a hug and they can actually get their arms around me."

Out goes the pasta - and cream on cereal Lighter Life is a weight-management programme designed specifically for people who have three stone or more to lose.

The approach combines the use of a very-low-calorie-diet in the form of soups, shakes and bars as well as specialised counselling to help users keep weight off.

Katie Fry, from Lighter Life, said: "Marcia has done brilliantly. It has made a massive difference to her life.

"The counselling we offer helps people understand their relationship with food."

HER DIET: MRS CLEMENTS is now at the stage of reintroducing herself to real foods. Her typical daily diet currently consists of things like porridge for breakfast, light salad for lunch and omlette for an evening meal.

Previously, she would eat huge portions of food, particularly creamy pasta dishes.

"I would eat anything I could get my hands on and the portions would be huge," she said.

"I loved ice cream and anything to do do with cream. I would even have cream on my cornflakes."