A mother-of-two from South Oxhey swapped sandwiches for salad and fresh vegetables as she shed five dress sizes in less than one year.

Karen Murphy, 44, would take regular exercise by walking her dogs and riding her bike.

But it was afternoon snacking, in particular bread, that saw her weight jump to more than 14 stone. Her favourite treat was peanut butter and chocolate spread sandwiches.

“Exercise wasn't a problem,” she said. “I don't drive so I tend to walk or cycle anywhere. I just ate bread. I did eat sensibly during the morning and at lunch but I was snacking during the afternoon and by the time I had dinner, I had eaten all this food beforehand.”

Quitting smoking in 1997 also led her to gain weight, as she turned to sugary sweets instead of nicotine.

“My substitute for smoking was food,” she said.

However, it was the death of her father and a forthcoming birthday that prompted Karen to join the South Oxhey branch of WeightWatchers in January 2009. By October last year, she had lost more than five stone, dropping to a size eight-ten, and has maintained her 'goal weight' over the past 12 months.

She said: “My dad died when he was 44. After my 43rd birthday last year it hit me that this year I would be 44. A seed planted in my mind when my dad died and I thought I wanted to be around for my children.

“So I decided to try and lose weight again and decided to give Weight Watchers a go.”

Karen had previously tried a host of diets but admitted they “didn't last long”.

“I wasn't very optimistic but I though I would give it a go,” she said. “I realised after years of not succeeding, I needed more support rather than doing it off my own back.”

Karen, who is married to Paul and a mother to daughter Kirsty, 18, and son Christopher, five, manages her diet using a points system, which means she can eat as much fruit and vegetables as she likes.

She also had to keep a food diary, listing everything she ate each day to see how she could improve her diet.

“The weight fell off,” she said. “I already had a level of exercise in my daily routine so I just needed to get the eating sorted. If you write something down, you will think twice about having it.

“Physically I'm healthier and fitter. I feel more confident in the way I look and generally, I just feel so much more confident and out-going.

“When you're that kind of size, you want to hide. I don't feel I want to do that anymore and I can be me.”

The South Oxhey branch of WeightWatchers meets at the Methodist Church, Prestwick Road, at 7pm every Thursday.

Karen's eating diary:

Before:

Breakfast: Two croissants, one roll, butter, jam.

Lunch: Two crusty rolls, butter, ham, two cream cakes.

Dinner: Pizza, half loaf of garlic bread, cheese cake quarter.

Snacks: Half pack of Pringles crisps, half large bar of chocolate.

After:

Breakfast: Two crumpets, soft light cheese, reduced sugar jam.

Lunch: Two meat-free burgers, one roll, homemade tomato sauce, strawberries and Greek yoghurt.

Dinner: Home-made pizza, two slices of garlic bread, salad, WeightWatchers frozen dessert.

Snacks: WeightWatchers crisps and chocolate bar, apple.