By . Deni Kirkova . PUBLISHED: . 09:00 EST, 13 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:36 EST, 13 December 2013 . A mother-of-two has lost nine stone for the festive season after being horrified by last year's Christmas party photos. Sonia Fowler, 43, from Burnham-On-Crouch, Essex, was 'disgusted' by her 20 stone frame when she saw pictures of herself at the office party. But the receptionist vowed to lose weight in time for this year's celebrations - and was rewarded for her efforts after she attended her 2013 Christmas party as a size 12. 'Disgusted': Sonia Fowler says photos of her at last year's Christmas party inspired her to lose weight ahead of this year's festive bash . 'Someone put the pictures up on the wall at work and I just couldn't believe I looked that way. I just thought "oh my God, is that really me?". It was a real shock,' she says. It was the picture above, where Sonia is sitting at the table with her husband Glen, 56, that made her decide to change her lifestyle. 'The more I thought about it, the more I realised I didn't want to look this way by the next Christmas party. I was determined to do something about it.' Dazzlingly different: Sonia attended this year's Christmas party wearing a size 12 dress . Sonia vowed to lose weight by the time . the next Christmas party came around and decided to try the Cambridge Weight . Plan - a meal replacement programme. 'I just knew I couldn't go on the way I was. It was just so unhealthy,' she says. 'The nearer this year's Christmas party got, the more determined I was to lose weight. And when I finally hit my goal weight I was just over the moon. 'This year the Christmas party was amazing - I felt confident and happy - and I spent all night on the dance floor.' Sonia, pictured a cruise before the weight loss, was 'disgusted' when she saw pictures from the office party . Sonia tipped the scales at 19 stone 11lbs before she started her diet in January this year. 'Throughout my life, I have always felt the need to feel full,' she says. 'I'm one of four children so there wasn't always enough food to go around. I think it's because of this that I always made sure I had plenty of food, and why I over ate. I'd just gorge on pastries and bread and ended up being a size 26. 'It wasn't until my mum had a heart attack in 2010 that my unhealthy lifestyle started to sink in. Then I saw the Christmas party pictures and I finally realised I needed to change my ways.' Sonia's expanding waistline meant that she struggled to do even the simplest of things. 'I was so big I struggled to get in and out of bed. I couldn't manage the housework, I couldn't even get in and out of the bath on my own and I couldn't put shoes on - my husband, Glen, had to do this for me,' she says. 'Exercise was totally out of the question, my joints ached and I knew I was becoming depressed.' But remarkably, Sonia has managed to lose nine stone in a year and now weighs 10st 11lbs. Despite not exercising, Sonia has managed to lose 9 stone in just one year with the Cambridge Plan . 'I am now doing all of the things . that I could not do before, like walking, bathing and getting out of bed . on my own. I am such a sociable person these days too,' she says. 'It is costing Glen a lot of money on new clothes because I am loving the new me and not afraid to show it either. 'I am exercising every day, using my Wii-FIT and running all the errands at work.' Sonia, who has two children, aged 24 and 20, is still sticking to her diet and says she 'feels fantastic'. Last weekend she attended her office Christmas party feeling like a different woman. 'Showing . off my new look at the party was amazing. Finally I was proud of how I . looked, and loved being in all of the photos. I wore a sparkly dress and . felt a million dollars,' she says.
Sonia Fowler, 43, from Burnham-On-Crouch, Essex, horrified by snaps .
Saw party photos where she weighed 19st 11lbs and was a size 20 .
Started Cambridge Diet Plan and lost nine stone. Now weighs 10st 11lbs .
Attended this year's office Christmas party as a size 12 .
By . Deni Kirkova . PUBLISHED: . 09:00 EST, 13 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:36 EST, 13 December 2013 . A mother-of-two has lost nine stone for the festive season after being horrified by last year's Christmas party photos. Sonia Fowler, 43, from Burnham-On-Crouch, Essex, was 'disgusted' by her 20 stone frame when she saw pictures of herself at the office party. But the receptionist vowed to lose weight in time for this year's celebrations - and was rewarded for her efforts after she attended her 2013 Christmas party as a size 12. 'Disgusted': Sonia Fowler says photos of her at last year's Christmas party inspired her to lose weight ahead of this year's festive bash . 'Someone put the pictures up on the wall at work and I just couldn't believe I looked that way. I just thought "oh my God, is that really me?". It was a real shock,' she says. It was the picture above, where Sonia is sitting at the table with her husband Glen, 56, that made her decide to change her lifestyle. 'The more I thought about it, the more I realised I didn't want to look this way by the next Christmas party. I was determined to do something about it.' Dazzlingly different: Sonia attended this year's Christmas party wearing a size 12 dress . Sonia vowed to lose weight by the time . the next Christmas party came around and decided to try the Cambridge Weight . Plan - a meal replacement programme. 'I just knew I couldn't go on the way I was. It was just so unhealthy,' she says. 'The nearer this year's Christmas party got, the more determined I was to lose weight. And when I finally hit my goal weight I was just over the moon. 'This year the Christmas party was amazing - I felt confident and happy - and I spent all night on the dance floor.' Sonia, pictured a cruise before the weight loss, was 'disgusted' when she saw pictures from the office party . Sonia tipped the scales at 19 stone 11lbs before she started her diet in January this year. 'Throughout my life, I have always felt the need to feel full,' she says. 'I'm one of four children so there wasn't always enough food to go around. I think it's because of this that I always made sure I had plenty of food, and why I over ate. I'd just gorge on pastries and bread and ended up being a size 26. 'It wasn't until my mum had a heart attack in 2010 that my unhealthy lifestyle started to sink in. Then I saw the Christmas party pictures and I finally realised I needed to change my ways.' Sonia's expanding waistline meant that she struggled to do even the simplest of things. 'I was so big I struggled to get in and out of bed. I couldn't manage the housework, I couldn't even get in and out of the bath on my own and I couldn't put shoes on - my husband, Glen, had to do this for me,' she says. 'Exercise was totally out of the question, my joints ached and I knew I was becoming depressed.' But remarkably, Sonia has managed to lose nine stone in a year and now weighs 10st 11lbs. Despite not exercising, Sonia has managed to lose 9 stone in just one year with the Cambridge Plan . 'I am now doing all of the things . that I could not do before, like walking, bathing and getting out of bed . on my own. I am such a sociable person these days too,' she says. 'It is costing Glen a lot of money on new clothes because I am loving the new me and not afraid to show it either. 'I am exercising every day, using my Wii-FIT and running all the errands at work.' Sonia, who has two children, aged 24 and 20, is still sticking to her diet and says she 'feels fantastic'. Last weekend she attended her office Christmas party feeling like a different woman. 'Showing . off my new look at the party was amazing. Finally I was proud of how I . looked, and loved being in all of the photos. I wore a sparkly dress and . felt a million dollars,' she says.
horrified by last year's Christmas party photos. Sonia Fowler, 43, from Burnham-On-Crouch, Essex, this year's celebrations - and was rewarded for party as a size 12. 'Disgusted': Sonia Fowler lose nine stone in a year and now weighs 10st