NEW mum Dawn Scahill ballooned to a whopping size 28 after giving birth and eating junk food -- then went on a diet so she could see her feet again!

Now super slimmer Dawn is in line for a national dieting award after shedding six stones in a year.

Dawn, of Howe Croft Road, Clitheroe is now a size 12. The Slimming World class she attends every Tuesday in Clitheroe has nominated her for its national Slimmer of the Year award with a top prize of £2,000.

The winner will be decided at the end of May from a shortlist of fat-busters from across the country.

Dawn put on more weight after having her baby girl, Tara, 16 months ago and it was then she decided to take action. She signed up to the class and became dedicated to its programme of healthy eating. Vicky Jackson, Dawn's consultant at Slimming World, said: "There's no extra exercise and you don't starve yourself -- you eat plenty of healthy food. We have shown her other ways of eating the same foods without frying. Dawn has done really well and is such an inspiration to us all. She looks stunning." Dawn confesses to loving food -- she despises being hungry, but she hates being overweight.

"I'm so thrilled, I can still hardly believe it," said Dawn, 27, a digital artist in Skipton, "I've lost an amazing six stones in just 12 months and I've shrunk from a size 28 to a size 12 and can now see my feet.

"My weight has been up and down for about ten years. It's about planning to cook differently and being more aware of what we are eating.

"I try to do what exercise I can, like going to the gym and trying to walk to town.

"I used to eat Kentuckys, burgers, chips, anything fried in fat. I am still very greedy, I just snack on the right things now." I have a number of points per week to distribute and each food is rated. Each week it's up to me how I use them.

"It's a way of life now. I had tried other diets which were unsuccessful because I was always hungry.

"I've found that there's two main things a slimmer needs to really make it happen - plenty of healthy food and plenty of support - and that's what I've had with my family and all my friends at Slimming World."

Slimming World have also had another success - their Blackburn class is shortlisted for Class of the Year due to the high number of slimmers taken on and the consistent weight loss achieved.