A SUPER slimmer has shed a massive eight stone — so that she can play on the seesaw with her grandson.

Karen Jefferies says she is delighted that for the first time she can play with her 11-year-old grandson Carl without sending him skywards.

The 56-year-old, who used to be a size 26, had a number of health problems and had to get her work clothes specially made.

After overhauling her diet with Weightwatchers and taking up walking with her husband Peter, aged 59, the pounds started dropping off.

Her son’s wedding in 2012 gave her an added half-way incentive to slim down into a size 16 dress.

Twelve months later she was at her target weight of 9st 6lbs and a trim size 10 to 12.

Mrs Jefferies said: “I’d say I was probably eating three times the calories that I should have before I lost the weight. That’s really scary to think about. But now I can take my grandchildren to the park and play games without being out of breath and wheezing.

“I decided that something needed to do something because my health was getting so bad and I wanted to be there for my grandchildren. I couldn’t even walk 20 metres without wheezing and coughing.”

The shop worker, who works at B&Q, who used to weigh 17st 7lbs, and says she used to have to get her work clothes made specially because they only went up to a size 24.

She said: “Before the Weightwatchers diet I had tried all the fad diets — the egg diet, banana diet, I’ve tried shakes, juices, the lot. I tried anything that was a quick fix. I’d lose a bit of weight and then as soon as I ate normally again I’d pile the pounds back on.

“I used to eat a big fry-up in the morning, eat a massive dinner, then have a takeaway for tea, like a large portion of fish and chips with a pie. It was all greasy, fried food.”

Her life changed three years ago when she attended a Weight-watchers class.

She said: “Club leader Francine has been a fantastic support throughout and the club is like one big family.

“When you are as big as I was you’re not pushed too far at first — you’re left to achieve your own small goals. so it doesn’t seem so overwhelming.

“Everything I eat is healthy now, but strangely I eat more now than I ever did before. I also do a lot of walking.”