Ananova:

An office manager lost seven stone and halved her dress size after eating nothing but food loaded with red hot chillis.

Natalie Whitelaw, 30, slimmed down from 18 to 11 stone by throwing the spice into everything from fish cakes to barbecue marinades.

Happy with to be half the woman she once was, Mrs Whitelaw said she liked nothing more than to show off her new slimline look, wearing sexy underwear and skimpy dresses for nights on the town. She has now been named Slimming World's Woman of the Year a year after joining the club.

The married mother-of-one, from Chessington, Surrey, said she was used to ignoring pleas to lose weight from of friends and family but realised she had to take action when she went out on a go-karting evening.

After fretting for days that her bulk would slow the go-kart, Natalie was horrified to find she was not even allowed to get behind the wheel in the first place because the compulsory safety overalls were too small for her size 24 figure.

She said: "I'm a naturally fun-loving person and I was deeply mortified. Being stuck like that wasn't the real me at all. The humiliating experience inspired her to join Slimming World and a year later she was down to a size 12.

"The variety of foods is wonderful. I'm a real chilli fan and love cooking all sorts of exotic dishes. Slimming World's Food Optimising system means I still eat as much as ever, but differently.

"When I found out I could do this there seemed to be less and less to rebel against, and as the weight went down, more and more fun to be had."

Her slimming class consultant Christine Brockwell said: "Natalie is a terrific girl with lots of spirit. She really went for it and lost weight in the healthiest way possible."