Grandparents who tipped the scales on the 40th lost half their body weight after eating takeout

A couple who weighed nearly 40 between them has lost half their body weight after ditching unhealthy junk food for home cooking.

Grandparents Jo Beveridge, 50, and John Durkin, 52, from Burnley, Lancashire, ate takeaway and delicious meals during the lockdown because ‘it was everything they looked forward to’.

But after John tipped the scales at 21st 8lbs while Jo reached 17st 6lbs, the pair decided to make a change.

And after losing 17th between them, the couple has now been crowned ‘couple of the year’ by Slimming World.

“If I’m honest with myself, I haven’t been happy with my weight since the birth of our first son, Alex,” said account manager Jo.

She dropped five dress sizes after losing 6st 6lbs.

“When Liam arrived a few years later, it became even more difficult to find time to eat healthy,” she continued.

“I would try to lose weight before a big event or holiday, but it would be a quick fix and I always ended up right back where I started once I started eating ‘normal’ again.”

The grandmother added that lockdown meant taking solace in food because she and John couldn’t see their family – leading to the development of some “quite unhealthy habits.”

They joined Slimming World in September 2021 after getting fed up with how they looked and felt.

The grocery store meal deals for lunch and high-calorie beer and wine with take-out meals went out.

Instead, they now prepare fresh salads for lunch and enjoy ready-to-eat, lower-calorie prepared foods.

And when they drink, they now have liquor with a low-calorie mixer and alternate alcohol with low-calorie soft drinks.

Jo also said their pre-lockdown weekends often consisted of ‘a trip to the pub with a takeaway after – so the couple were worried they ‘wouldn’t be able to enjoy that aspect of their lives’ anymore.

“But with a few simple trades, we realized we didn’t have to miss a thing,” she added.

Our daughter-in-law Jodie had joined Slimming World prior to her wedding in 2019 and she looked absolutely amazing on the day.

“She raved about all the delicious food she could eat and how supportive the group was, so we decided to try it ourselves.”

The pair also embarked on a new fitness routine, including regular running, and John managed to complete a marathon earlier this year.

The warehouse manager has cut his weight in half by losing 10th 11 pounds.

“I really got the running bug when the weight started to come off,” he revealed.

“It felt so much easier and my recovery time was much faster.

“The eating plan is no-nonsense, common sense eating — a world away from the crash diets we’ve done in the past.”

He admits the experience has changed the way they think about food.

“We now plan our meals and eat three balanced meals a day, which helps us stay on track,” explains John.

“We also often cook in batches, so if we don’t feel like cooking or don’t have time, there’s usually something in the freezer.

‘The group coaching was also great. I was a little nervous at the thought of taking part and wasn’t sure what to expect.

“I was afraid I’d be the only man or be judged as the tallest in the room. Yet it wasn’t like that at all.

“After a few weeks, we really started to understand who we were as weight-lossers. Once we figured that out, everything fell into place.’