A couple are celebrating after winning an award for their amazing weight loss. Simon and Tracy Bartlett, of Braintree have lost an incredible 15 stone between them after turning their backs on the junk food that they have indulged in since they were teenagers.
They realised that something had to be done about their eating habits when Mrs Bartlett, 42, was diagnosed with Churg-Strauss syndrome, an auto-immune disease which affected her lungs and caused her to gain weight.
She had to take steroids for the condition which led to an increased appetite while Mr Bartlett turned to comfort eating following his wife’s diagnosis.
Mr Bartlett weighed 18 and a half stone at his heaviest while Mrs Bartlett weighed 18 stone. Both of them suffered from high blood pressure and painful joints.
The couple both joined their local Slimming World in January 2011 and by December Mrs Bartlett had lost lost 8st 81/2lb and Mr Bartlett was 6st 121/2lb lighter.
Mrs Bartlett said: “We want to make up for lost time. We’ve booked camping trips for the summer and I’m dying to try weird and wacky things like zorbing and bungee jumping, things I’d never have dreamed of doing before.”