A Dartford woman who has dropped from a size 16 to a size eight after being diagnosed with diabetes says it was a complete accident.

Annabel McCaffery, 54, was informed of her type 2 diabetes in November 2015, but the bleak news did not surprise her.

Her brother has endured type 1 diabetes since his teenage years and after her diagnosis Annabel embarked on the Low Carb Program.

She has now lost four stone and is feeling the fittest she has been in at least 15 years.

“I am a bit shocked when I look at myself then,” Annabel told News Shopper.

“I only went on the diet to manage the diabetes and then I was absolutely delighted when the weight start falling off me. I like to say I’ve gained a new shape rather than lost weight.”

The Temple Hill resident said she wouldn’t wish diabetes on anybody but said without the diagnosis she wouldn’t have experienced her healthy transformation.

She added: “This is the fittest I have been in easily 15 years. I love walking and have even started climbing small mountains. Beforehand that would never have occurred to me."

Annabel, who had suffered symptoms including extreme thirst and a weak bladder prior to her diagnosis, turned a negative into a positive and said her mental health has never been better.

Before starting the Low Carb Program she was taking 2000mg of metformin, now she only takes 1000mg.

She encouraged people to turn to the Low Carb Program, even if they didn’t have diabetes.

The program from from Diabetes Digital Media encourages small portions which are high in fat and low in carbohydrates.

The award-winning program has over 333,000 members and has been approved by the NHS.

It aims to control blood glucose, improve health, aid weight loss and to reduce medication dependency.