For many women, being mistaken for a celebrity is the ultimate compliment. But for Sabrina May, who was compared to Gemma Collins, it only made her cringe. Every time that Sabrina from Essex was out in public, she would be mistaken for the The Only Way Is Essex star. In fact, one night somebody even asked the size 22 florist for her autograph. After five years of this unwanted stardom, Sabrina decided that it was time to make a change to her appearance - and she lost seven stone and slimmed down to a size 10 as a result. Scroll down for video . Sabrina May, 29, used to be mistaken for TOWIE star Gemma Collins before she lost seven stone in weight . Sabrina, 29, who at her heaviest was 16st 12lb, said: 'I've always been a TOWIE fan and thought Gemma was great. 'We were both big, bubbly, blonde Essex girls with a love of pie and chips and cocktails. However, I still never thought I was as big as her. 'I was kidding myself about my weight. I was genuinely surprised and gutted when people started mistaking me for her. 'When I was asked to sign the autograph I knew it was time to change - it was the wake-up call I needed.' Sabrina, who at her heaviest was 16st 12lb, left, was even asked for her autograph when someone mistook her for Gemma Collins but she went on to shed the pounds on a health kick, right, and is now a size 10 . Sabrina admits her whole family would sit down and tuck into giant home-cooked dinners, which left them all feeling overweight . Every time that Sabrina from Essex was out in public, she would be mistaken for the The Only Way Is Essex star Gemma Collins, right . Sabrina says she began putting on weight in her early twenties when her lifestyle changed after leaving college. The mother-of-one, from Chelmsford, said: 'I stopped being so active when I was a student.' And she admits her whole family would sit down and tuck into giant home-cooked dinners, which left them all feeling overweight. Sabrina said: 'My father Paul was a big guy who loved his food. He used to say life was too short for dieting and to just have what you enjoyed. But unfortunately, when he was 26st, he died. 'Of course, we all knew that at his weight he wasn't the healthiest but we had no idea just how serious it was.' After losing her father, who was overweight, she was  terrified that her own weight might take her away from her own son so she decided to do something about it . She heard about the Terri-Ann 123 diet plan on Facebook and liked the fact it gave her 24-hour access to online support with other slimmers so she signed up . In January 2012, Paul was taken to hospital but medics struggled to diagnose his condition. Just ten days later he died of multiple organ failure and doctors confirmed that his weight had played a part. Sabrina said: 'He was just too unhealthy and his size made him hard to treat. 'I was lost without him and terrified that my own weight might take me away from my son. I didn't want to put him through what I was going through losing dad. 'I knew I didn't want to leave my Taylor, who is now three, without a mum.' The plan also allowed her to eat lots of her favourite foods, but cooked in different ways. They are always served without carbohydrates . Sabrina also made sure she visited the gym and the weight soon started to drop off . She vowed to ditch the chips and get slim but her grief always led her back to the fridge. And unfortunately for Sabrina, she loved unhealthy foods and would feast on large bowls of pasta, crisps, wine and chocolate. Her weight rocketed when she fell pregnant with Tyler in 2010, and she remained a size 22 after he was born. Sabrina said: 'I would live on milky coffee all day telling myself I was being healthy. 'But at night, when my son was in bed, I would binge eat anything and everything I could get my hands on. 'It never seemed odd to me because all my family loved food. I still made an effort with my hair and make-up and wore smart clothes, so I thought I looked OK.' Before she lost weight, Sabrina loved unhealthy foods and would feast on large bowls of pasta, crisps, wine and chocolate and never used the gym . Her weight rocketed when she fell pregnant with Tyler in 2010, and she remained a size 22 after he was born . Like a lot of people trying conventional diets, Sabrina found she was back to the fatty foods within a month. A year later, when she went out with friends to her favourite Essex haunt, she was asked to sign the autograph and decided enough was enough. Sabrina said: 'I just laughed it off and made a joke of it but inside I was mortified and vowed I would diet.' She heard about the Terri-Ann 123 diet plan on Facebook and liked the fact it gave her 24-hour access to online support with other slimmers. As a single mother, the one-off payment appealed too - so she signed up in April 2013. In the first ten days Sabrina lost a stone and says the motivation to continue came from the Facebook page, which she could log on to for support night and day. After she started weightlifting at the gym, she began to see results on her stomach. Sabrina says it used to flap around, but it is now smooth and toned . The plan also allowed her to eat lots of her favourite foods, but cooked in different ways. They are always served without carbohydrates. Sabrina says: 'I had a cooked breakfast every day and enjoyed big lunches and dinner. To be honest, I was probably eating more than I had been when I was fat.' Four months in and she had already dropped 4st and was a size 16. She said: 'I was thrilled but I still looked like Gemma so I wanted to keep going, especially because my tummy was still massive.' In December 2013, Sabrina started working out at a gym to boost her weight loss and tone up. And finally, after she started weightlifting at the gym, she began to see results on her stomach. Sabrina says it used to flap around, but it is now smooth and toned. Within 13 months she had dropped down to 9st 12lb and is now a size ten. Sabrina still works the Essex look, but has not been mistaken for Gemma since she started losing weight. She added: 'I still love Gemma but I'm pleased that I don't get mistaken for her any more.'
Sabrina May, 29, was always mistaken for TOWIE star . Size 22 and weighed 16st 12lb but has slimmed down to 9st 12lb and size 10 . Joined a Facebook diet group and loves using the gym now .