text: A woman who lost more than three stone in six months by using gastric band hypnosis was mistaken for her husband's new lover by his amazed colleagues. Andrea Lindsay, 43, from Prescot, Merseyside, transformed her appearance leaving her almost unrecognisable to friends and family. The mother-of-one shed more than three stone using an hypnosis app and dropped from a size 18 to a size ten to 12 in half a year. Andrea Lindsay, 43, from Prescot, Merseyside, shed more than three stone using an hypnosis app . Andrea hit her target weight in December 2014, shrinking from 14st to around 10st 5lb, before dying her bright blonde locks dark brown. And the bank worker received a curious compliment when her husband's colleagues thought Robbie had traded his wife in for a younger, slimmer model at a Christmas party when they failed to recognise her. Andrea said: 'I hit my target weight in December and we went to my husband's work party. A couple we knew walked in so I waved and said hello to them but they seemed really off with me. 'I thought they must have had an argument or something but we found out later that they didn't recognise me - they thought Rob had traded me in for a newer model. 'After losing the weight and dying my hair, they just didn't recognise me and thought that Rob had brought another woman with him! 'They had no idea who I was and had asked their friends where Andrea from last year was and why I wasn't with Rob.' Andrea, pictured here with her husband Robbie, says she'd tried every fad diet . After her transformation her husband's colleagues thought Robbie had traded his wife in for a younger, slimmer model at a Christmas party . 'Andrea says: 'People I have known for years have walked past me in the street as well and just ignored me. I didn't even think I looked that different.' The brunette says she has struggled with her weight all her life and says she'd tried every fad diet with little success ever since she reached a size 16/18 in her early teens. Andrea's new diet plan . Breakfast: Porridge . Lunch: Soup and a sandwich . Tea: Chilli with rice, cheese, and bread . Mid-morning: (as soon as I feel hungry) bowl of soup or a salad . Evening (as soon as I feel hungry) - a small bowl of chilli with cheese, bread or salad . But after she discovered Easy Loss' Virtual Gastric Band - Lose Weight Fast app, she has never looked back and said she still listens to the hypnosis sessions twice a day. The £4.99 app is designed to teach people to use their common sense when it comes to eating, rather than sticking to rules and restrictions, and just eating when they are hungry. Andrea said: 'As far back as I can remember, I have been overweight. Andrea says she'd had little success with weight loss ever since she reached a size 16/18 in her teens . But seeing as she never had any health issues she didn't really do anything about her weight . She says she always said she never wanted to be fat and 40, but got to 43 and was 'still fat' 'I tried absolutely everything - fad diets, cutting out food - but nothing ever worked. I would stick at it for a few weeks then just lose interest. There were too many rules and restrictions. 'I think because I never had any health issues I didn't really do anything about it. I always said I never wanted to be fat and 40, but I got to 43 and was still fat. 'It wasn't until I started doing hot yoga that I realised I was dissatisfied with myself, so I started looking for something to help me relax and that is when I found Easy Loss - it was just a complete fluke.' Andrea says: 'The ethos of my new lifestyle is that I don't stick to traditional meal times! I eat whenever I'm hungry, as soon as I'm hungry and stop eating as soon as I'm no longer hungry. 'If we went out for breakfast before I would have a fry up, now I have something lighter like Eggs Benedict.' Andrea is now preparing for a luxury two week getaway with husband Robbie, 45, to Mexico, and can't wait to show off her new bikini body on the beach. She said: 'I go away on Saturday and this is the first time I have actually felt body confident. I've spent £700 on a new holiday wardrobe, and I can't wait to wear everything. 'I got my old holiday clothes out and everything was just falling off me - I just can't believe now that I was ever that big. The difference is massive. After she started doing hot yoga she realised she was dissatisfied and that is when she found Easy Loss . 'I have three younger sisters and I have always been the fat one. They always shared each other's clothes and I could never do that, until now. They are amazed at the difference too. 'Since Easy Loss I eat a better balance and variety of food, a lot healthier. But we still have takeaways on a Friday, I don't feel deprived at all. 'It has changed my mind-set completely, it isn't a weight loss programme more a common sense set of guidelines to follow. My husband has started listening to it now as well.' Sue Peckham, co-creator of Virtual Gastric Band - Lose Weight Fast app said: 'Andrea has done so well with our app and we're all thrilled for her. She is a real inspiration and a Gold Member of our Easyloss Facebook Group. 'Her support and advice is a great help and really appreciated by other group members. We're really grateful for all she does to help other app users to achieve their weight loss goals.' The £4.99 app is designed to teach people to use their common sense when it comes to eating . Rather than restriction herself, Andrea - pictured with new clothes - has just been eating when she's hungry .
target: Andrea Lindsay, 43, from Prescot, Merseyside, transformed her appearance .
  Downloaded £4.99 Easy Loss' Virtual Gastric Band - Lose Weight Fast app .
  Dropped from a size 18 to a size ten to 12 in just six months .
  Husband Robbie's colleagues thought he'd traded her in for a new model .