Size 20 woman who gorged on bacon and brie sandwiches and Quality Street on Christmas Day loses FIVE dress sizes - after being shocked at how she looked in photos

A woman who decided to lose weight after seeing photos of herself tucking into Christmas dinner is looking forward to the festive season more than ever after dropping five dress sizes.

Last Christmas, Roma Stapley, 27, from Cambridge, made her way through a fry-up followed by a brie and bacon sandwich, then a giant three-course Christmas lunch with all the trimmings, cheese and port.

In the run-up to Christmas Day each year, the assistant retail manager would often snack on dozens of mince pies while she was out doing her present shopping. 

Roma Stapley was mortified after seeing this photo of herself enjoying Christmas lunch last year. The 27-year-old used to get through a Bucks Fizz, a fry-up and a brie and bacon sandwich on Christmas morning

Slimmed down: over 4st lighter, Roma is now 'much stricter' about what she eats during the festive season, and has cut down on her potion sizes when it comes to Christmas dinner

Throughout the rest of the year she would gorge on takeaway meals. Her eating habits saw her weight creep up until she reached 15st and a size 20 at just 5ft 4in.

It was only after Roma saw a photograph of herself at Christmas dinner 2014, grinning over her empty plate with two forks - that she realised she needed to shift the pounds.

However, she didn't muster up the courage to join Cambridge Weight Plan until May this year. Since then, she has managed to shed more than 4st - slimming to a petite 10st 5lb.

Roma said: ‘At Christmas, I would always have a massive three course lunch with all the trimmings before my dad would then break out the cheese and port for us all. 

Then and now: Roma has dropped five dress sizes and more than 4st in the space of a year. She is still planning on losing another half a stone 

‘The way our family celebrated Christmas, it always centred around eating and drinking, so I would gorge on food from the beginning of December to February and would pile on the pounds.

‘When I saw photos of myself at the Christmas dinner table, I felt really uncomfortable with the way I looked and wanted to slim down.

‘I only had three outfits in my wardrobe which I could wear and I refused to buy anything new as it had to be at least a size 20.

‘When I would go shopping over the Christmas period I would always end up eating boxes of mince pies just because they were around.

Pictured enjoying Christmas dinner with her family, Roma says the festive season used to centre around food. Before her weight loss she'd get through a massive portion of turkey with all the trimmings and two desserts

Roma shows off her dramatic weight loss in before and after images posted on her Instagram page. Speaking of her dramatic weight loss, she said: 'I never want to go back to how I was before'

Before she joined Cambridge Weight Plan, Roma loved eating takeaways, pizza and big portions of pasta, a habit which saw her balloon to 15st and a size 20 

‘I did try and limit the amount of takeaways I would have - probably three a week - but I would always order way too much and get enough for four people when it was just myself and my boyfriend.

‘When we would order a Chinese, I would order a few different dishes to try different things, but would always end up eating it all.’

When Roma joined Cambridge Weight Plan in May this year however, she cut out the mammoth portions in favour of healthier choices.

Instead of gorging on pizza and pasta, Roma would make a salad or swap her starchy breakfasts for nutritious shakes and fruit.

Roma said: ‘Sometimes I would skip breakfast and end up having loads to eat later on during the day, but usually I'd have toast and cereal.

‘If I hadn't already eaten the packed lunch I'd made in the morning, I would have that at lunchtime but mostly I'd have to go out to the shops to get something else instead.

Now petite at 10st 5lb, Roma says she has more energy at work and even her sex life has improved 

Roma has learnt to substitute pizza and takeaways for healthier options like fruit and vegetables

‘In the evening, I'd have a takeaway or a massive portion of pasta and cover it with cheese.

‘Nowadays though, I'll substitute the unhealthy meals that I would have with healthier options like fruit and vegetables.

‘It was really hard as I had to completely relearn how to eat and what was a normal portion size, which I was no longer used to.

‘I feel like I'm much more energetic now at work and I can actually go an entire shift without having loads of pain in my feet.

‘And my sex life with my boyfriend is much improved now I've lost the weight as I've got more energy.’

Roma shows off her dramatic weight loss by posing in clothes she used to wear when she was a size 20

While Roma has said that she will treat herself over the Christmas period to some of her favourite foodstuffs, she still plans to shed another half a stone in the new year and is determined to implement her changes for life.

In November this year she tried on her old size 10 prom dress - which she hadn't been able to wear for 11 years - and was stunned to find that it fit her again. 

Roma said: ‘Although I'll still have some treats around the Christmas table, I will be much stricter with what I am putting in my mouth.

‘Where previously my dad would offer round lots of unhealthy foods at the time, he is now under strict orders not to tempt me to have too much.

‘I love that I can go clothes shopping for all kinds of outfits and I'm not just limited to large sizes. I can wear what I like and I feel so much more confident in my skin and slinky dresses.

‘In the New Year, I'm looking to lose another half a stone, but I've never been happier and I'm looking forward to Christmas with my new slimmer figure.’