This is Nottingham -- Together a Notts brother and sister have lost 13 stone – that's the equivalent of a baby elephant or your average man. Riah Matthews finds out how they achieved such dramatic resultsVICTORIA Lambley's new nickname is "Vic the Stick", but once upon a time she was so big she got wedged into a cinema seat.
The 36-year-old from Thorneywood has lost more than six stone after changing her diet.
She says: "I'd always been over a size 16 but I was putting on more weight as I got older and had children."
She joined WeightWatchers in March 2010 after being convinced to go for a free session by her friend, although she had to be dragged along.
"I really didn't want to be weighed in front of people," says Victoria. "Although it turns out you're not weighed in front of people at all."
The mother of three to Josh, 19, Zac, 17, and Olivia, 10, admits that she's "been on every diet you can think of" but after a concerted effort finally achieved her dream and has gone from a dress size 20 to a size eight.
"It took me 20 months to get to my goal weight of ten stone and now I can fluctuate five pounds either way," says Victoria.
"I've been going 36 months and I've been at goal weight for 16 months."
Since losing the weight, she's become much more confident and has even found love with partner Christian Roberts.
"It's completely changed everything. I'm not a single mum any more. I've got a partner now and that's because my opinion of myself has completely changed and my confidence is higher. I'm not hiding away so much. It's a whole different world now," says Victoria.
She earns extra food points by exercising and has even had a piece of gym equipment named after her at her gym.
She says: "They call it Victoria's Machine because I'm always on it. It replicates skiing and I go on it for an hour and a half at a time on the hardest setting."
Part way through her own weight-loss journey, Victoria inspired her younger brother Matthew Lambley, 33, to join WeightWatchers and he too has seen fantastic results.
He has dropped eight stone in 20 months, going from nearly 20 to under 12.
"Victoria said she'd show me how to do it and then if I wanted to carry on I could, but I'd have to do it all myself," says Matthew.
And he did. Matthew, from St Ann's, went from a diet of chocolate, crisps and kebabs to swimming nearly every day and eating three square meals with fruit for snacks.
"I got rid of my bus pass and I walk everywhere. I walk to work and then walk home, often going to the gym on the way," says Matthew.
He's a regular at Victoria Leisure Centre where he swims 40 lengths in 45 minutes after a long night shift as a porter at the Jury's Inn Hotel in Station Street.
"My life has changed massively," says Matthew.
The brother and sister go to WeightWatchers run by Sharon Williams on Thursday mornings in the hall next to St Peter's Church in the city centre.
"Even though I've reached my goal, I still go every week because I find the support keeps me on track," says Victoria.
"When I lost weight before I would just put it all back on again, but going to the group, if you have a bad week, you go and get weighed and then draw a line under it."
Matthew also attends the classes and uses the Facebook group which he finds particularly helpful.
He says: "If I have a bad week then I just go on there and get lots of reassurance and support. Because I live on my own I find it helpful to have friends who I can turn to."
Victoria, who's 5' 2", was a size 20 before she lost weight and now wears a size 8.
She says: "I've never been this size before. It's lovely just to be able to shop in normal shops and wear stuff that normal people wear."
Victoria admits that chocolate was her weakness and she could eat a few bars a day.
"The pockets in my car were stuffed with chocolate – Time Out bars were my demon – and I used to go through family bags of crisps.
"I'd try to be good and I'd eat things like tuna mayonnaise, but I wouldn't have a clue that full-fat mayonnaise isn't good for you. If you're eating things like mayonnaise you might as well have a bowl of chips.
"My fruit bowl is massive now. I take fruit while I'm walking my daughter to school and eat it on the way and it's in my car.
" My kids' diets are much better since I've been doing WeightWatchers as well."
Matthew has also changed his diet – swapping his late-night shish kebabs for a packed lunch.
"It was hard work but I'm used to it now. I'm not 100 per cent perfect all of the time and I do give in to temptation and have the odd naughty thing now and again," he says.
Both are proud of each other's achievements with nothing but praise for their new, slimmer physiques.
Matthew says: "She's been fantastic. She'll blush at me saying this but it's easier for me because I live alone and only have to think about myself. But she's got the kids and everything else to think about, so she's done really well."
Victoria says: "The difference in Matthew is just amazing. He's been fat since he was little and he has adapted his whole life. My kids used to call him 'fat uncle Matt' but they can't say that any more. I swear he's lost weight every time I see him."
For further information on WeightWatchers, or to find your nearest meeting, call 08457 123 000 or visit www.weightwatchers.co.uk Reported by This is 18 minutes ago.