Barely out of her 20s and mum to two young boys Kimberly Read was facing the real prospect of a life cut short.

Eastern Daily Press: Kimberly Read lost more than nine stone after joining Slimming World and has now started her own group to help others reach their weight loss goals. Picture: Kimberly ReadKimberly Read lost more than nine stone after joining Slimming World and has now started her own group to help others reach their weight loss goals. Picture: Kimberly Read (Image: Archant)

Kimberly weighed almost 21 stone, had a BMI (body mass index) of almost double what is considered healthy, was at risk of heart disease and too unfit to join in with games at her eldest son's rugby practice.

The unthinkable prospect of leaving her children, Finley, now four, and Casper, two, without a mother spurred her to take action and she's now shed more than nine stone in weight.

'I didn't want to leave my kids without a mum or to be an embarrassment to them,' says Kimberly, who works as a teaching assistant and lives in Wymondham.

'Now I've lost the weight my BMI is a (healthy) 23 and I'm able to run around with my boys when they go to rugby and football practice. I don't get out of breath climbing the stairs or taking our dog for a walk. I'm also dancing again as I run a dance club at the primary school where I work. I would never have had the confidence to do this before I lost the weight.

Eastern Daily Press: Kimberly Read, looking healthy and happy after losing weight. Picture: Kimberly ReadKimberly Read, looking healthy and happy after losing weight. Picture: Kimberly Read (Image: Archant)

'I've found my love for cooking again - even Finley and Casper happily tuck into my lasagnes - and I love adapting recipes to suit my family's tastes. I love being active, healthy and inspiring to other people.'

Kimberly was working as assistant manager at The Nelson in Norwich when she had the first wake-up call about her weight.

The 30-year-old, who says she had always been a big child and bigger woman, explains: 'I was serving behind the bar, bent down to get a bottle out of the fridge and heard an almighty rip. Thankfully, my clothes were lined so my modesty was covered but even so, there was a huge part of me exposed to the punters.'

The seed that she needed to take action may have been sown but it wasn't until Kimberly became a mum that she finally took action and joined her local Slimming World group.

'It was when I was mum to both boys that I was really focussed,' she says. 'I was so unfit I would feel exhausted running after Finley, especially at his rugby practice when I had to join in some of the games.

So far Kimberly, who is married to Matthew, has lost nine stone, going from her starting sign-up weight of 20st 10lb to 11st 9.5lb. She's even encouraged her husband to join Slimming World too and he's shed four stone this year.

Her own success has encouraged her to become a Slimming World consultant so she can help others to follow her example.

'I couldn't have lost the weight without the support of my own consultant, Debbie Smith, and my group,' she says. 'Now it's time to help others.'

Having gone from a size 28 to a size 12, Kimberly knows how hard losing weight is and she wants to share her passion for the plan. Her own experience wasn't an easy one and it took several attempts and two pregnancies to finally get there.

'I struggled to stick to the plan, being a new mum, but I did manage to lose about three and a half stone,' says Kimberly. 'Sadly, just before Finley turned one I had a miscarriage at 11 weeks. I was devastated and turned to food for comfort. I hadn't told many people I was pregnant and didn't' want them to feed sad for me. Happily, a few months later I found out I was pregnant again.'

Although Kimberly took a break while pregnant she returned to the diet and continued to lose weight afterwards so she could fulfil her dream of being a healthy and happy mum to her sons.

'If I can do it, anyone can,' she says.

? Kimberly's Slimming World group takes place each Monday at 7.30pm at Wymondham Football Club, Back Lane, Wymondham.