MOTHERHOOD left Nichola Porter with a weight on her mind - but she is now nine stone lighter.

The 30-year-old made the lifestyle change following the birth of their first daughter, Zara.

And the move has also had a knock-on effect for husband Gary, who has shed two stone as well.

Nichola, of Lancaster Drive, Walmersley, Bury, previously wore a size 24, and weighed 21 stone 3lbs, but now comfortably fits in a size 12 to 14.

She said: “It was difficult to start with but now I’ve lost the weight, I absolutely love keeping it off.

“I knew once I had Zara that was the only time I was going to get time off work to really focus and lose the weight.

“I first started exercising in May and haven’t looked back since. Before that, I changed my eating habits to lose the weight and joined Slimming World in October 2012, a year before Zara was born.

“I lost two stone in that year but put it all back on while pregnant.

“I love going to my fitness classes now and do sometimes have a takeaway but I feel bad after and just want to exercise."

Nichola, who works part time as a senior pension officer for the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, attends five fitness classes a week.

Gary, a fork lift truck driver, now cycles regularly and the pair take out Zara, now 21-months-old, on longer walks through the countryside.

“It was the best time for me to lose the weight so that I can actually run around the park with Zara and bring her up in a healthy family,” added Nichola.