A roly-poly couple who tipped the scales at a whopping 45 STONE have shed almost a THIRD of their body weight – in time for their wedding day.
Kim James, 35, and Lee Coggins, 37, ballooned on a calorie-packed diet which would often see them eat junk food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In the evening they would plough through garlic bread, two large pizzas, ice cream and three bags of chocolate, washed down with beer and wine.
At their heaviest, Kim weighed a hefty 19st 10.5lbs and was wearing a size 24, while Lee weighed in at 25st 4lbs and had to have his 56-inch waist trousers made online.
But after joining a slimming club two years ago they shed 14 stone between them and are now at their ideal weights for the wedding in March.
Kim said: “I couldn’t bear people watching me eat because I was just worried they were thinking why is she eating all that when she is so fat already?
“Sometimes I would deliberately not buy any chocolate but by 7pm we would usually crack and drive to the garage which is literally a few minutes’ walk away.”
Kim and Lee are set to tie the knot in a VW themed ceremony in line with their love for camper vans, which Kim says may not have happened if they hadn’t lost weight.
She said: “I would have hated having my photos taken on my wedding day. In fact If I was the same size we would not be getting married.
“There will be some very shocked friends at the ceremony – especially ones that haven’t seen us for a while.”
Kim and Lee decided it was time to lose weight after Kim saw a picture of herself holding her newborn daughter and the Nintendo Wii told Lee to get off the scales.
The parents of Georgina, six, and Gracie, two, joined Slimming World in September 2011 and immediately began to shed their fat.
Lee said: “When I found out what my weight was I was actually scared.
“I went on the scales on the Nintendo Wii but it only went up to 23st and then it told me to get off.
“I didn’t think I could be heavier than that but when I did weigh myself I was 25st 4lbs. Unbelievable.”
Kim, who lost seven stone, added: “I always knew I was overweight but until I saw a photo I didn’t realise just how bad I’d become.
“The hardest part was it was a photo with my two girls, one of whom was brand new, and I didn’t want to show anybody because I looked awful.
“I had always struggled with my weight but had just avoided having my pictures taken.
“I have no photos with Georgina when she was tiny because I didn’t like having cameras anywhere near me.
“It makes me say because I can never have that time back.”
Lee, who also lost seven stone, said that in spite of this, their decision to shed the pounds has had an untold effect on the happiness of the family.
He said: “Now as a family we can do a lot more. We can go swimming or go to the beach.
“It’s great being able to go on the adventure playground with the kids and seeing how much happier it makes them.
“Before we would have sat having a cup of tea and a cake whilst they played.
“There is a lot more laughter in our life now, we enjoy life so much more. We are like big kids.”
I am so proud of Kim and her fantastic weight loss, as her consultant I have seen just how losing the weight has brought her out of her shell and made her a much more confident person. The changes she has made to her lifestyle has made her more active and has a positive effect on her family too. I know for sure that she will look amazing in her wedding dress and it has been a privilege to be a part of her weight loss journey. She is so inspiring and encourages other members in group too.