Samantha Williams, 46, and Dave Exelby, 36, both consumed a daily intake of 5,000 calories, before realising they were in desperate need a health overhaul.
Following Hairy Bikers David Myers and Simon King’s cookbook, Samantha went from 18st to 14st, while Dave went from 26st to 17st.
Admitting they needed to scale their portions down, Samantha says:
'We enjoyed relatively healthy meals most of the time, including roast dinners, pasta, pizza and curry - the problem was the huge quantities we consumed.
'We would dig into massive portions at meal times and indulge in snacks in the mean time.'
And the Yorkshire-based couple soon realised they needed to improve their energy levels in order to keep up with their young children.
'Looking after our twins as they grow up is a full-time job and Joe requires constant care as he is autistic. When we were overweight I wished we were in better shape so we could keep up with them.'
The family then attempted to start a fitness regime by going swimming, but found they were too embarrassed to join a gym.
That’s when they stumbled upon The Hairy Dieters’ cookery show.
'We were amazed at how quickly the bikers had lost their bellies and we wondered whether it could work for us,’ Samantha revealed.
'It wasn’t easy. At first I felt hungry all the time, but gradually I came to enjoy the low-calorie recipes.
'The first dish I attempted from the book was a low-calorie lasagne which used slices of leek instead of pasta sheets. It was delicious.
'For a while it felt as if I was cooking all the time, as I struggled to switch from shoving a frozen pizza in the oven to making a whole meal from scratch.
'We bought a cross-trainer for the house so we could exercise together at home.’
And lorry driver David says he loves their new active lifestyle, having found it hard to keep fit during long shifts.
The father-of-two reveals:
'Now I take healthy meals to work - pasta salad, natural yoghurt flavoured with some ginger, carrot and celery sticks and some low calorie popcorn for my sweet tooth.
'I have kept just one big coat- but only as a reminder'
'Our lives has changed completely. I feel incredible now. I’m out on my bike all the time. I love our new active lifestyle.
'I cannot wait until we get Joe a three-wheeled bike, so we can all go cycling together as a family - something I never thought would happen.'
With Samantha adding:
'I have kept just one big coat from when I was really big. I still get it out now - but only as a reminder. I never want to wear that coat again.'