A MILDENHALL mother who lost an astounding 15st in 18 months has finished in the top ten of a national weight loss competition.

Cambs Times: Lesley Richardson - beforeLesley Richardson - before (Image: Archant)

Lesley Richardson’s remarkable weight loss saw her reach the finals of Slimming World’s Greatest Loser 2013 competition, where she placed joint ninth at a ceremony in London earlier this month.

Since December 2011, the 40 year old has dropped 15st, going from more than 27 stone to 12st 3lb and from a dress size 32 to a 14.

She said: “To be blunt, I think that if I hadn’t done something about my weight when I did it wouldn’t have been long until I’d have become housebound or, worse, been in a box six-feet down.”

The full-time mum considered weight-loss surgery but was persuaded to go to a Slimming World group in Mildenhall.

She said: “I started to think that surgery was the only way I was ever going to lose weight because nothing worked for me and I didn’t want to just get bigger and bigger, which was what I was facing.

“I had a two-year-old and I knew that if I didn’t do something I wasn’t going to be alive to see her as a teenager and I wanted to be a better mum to all of my children.

“Walking through the doors of the group was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was scared people would stare at me but now I just wish I’d done it years ago.

“We’re just a group of people all trying to do the same thing – lose weight and change our lives.

“Walking my children to school used to feel like the hardest thing in the world but now I can easily walk four and a half miles.”