A COUPLE has shifted more than nine stone between them after their daughter's health battle inspired them into a new lifestyle.

Joe and Josephine Halpin have both lost inches off their waist and dropped several dress sizes by following Slimming World since May 2018.

The couple, from Coatbridge, discovered that their daughter Isla, who is now three, was born without a hip socket, a condition known as hip dysplasia.

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The tot had to undergo surgery in April 2018 for the condition and was required to wear a body cast on her bottom half to recover.

Knowing the health battle the youngster faced, the pair decided to overhaul their lifestyle in order to be healthy for their young toddler.

Joe, 35, who is an insurance claims specialist said: "We were out for a walk with our daughter and I was pushing the pram.

"It was a gentle incline to our flat but I got really out of breath.

"My wife Jo noticed I was out of breath, and we decided at that point if our daughter was having to go through everything she was going through then we had to do something in order to keep up with her.

"That's when we decided to join Slimming World."

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The couple admit that their weight gain started when they first met while working at a cinema together.

The anti-social hours led to them reaching for high-calorie convenience foods - and before they knew it, they had piled on the pounds.

Joe added: "After we got married we did lose some weight but having Isla changed things and we fell back into bad habits.

"When you have a young one, you are tired and sometimes it is easier to order takeaways."

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At his heaviest, Joe stepped on the scales weighing 18 stones 9.5lbs. Today he weighs around 13 stones 7lbs, a target he reached in January 2019 and has gone from 42 inches to 33 inches in his waist size.

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Lab manager Josephine, 36, has dropped from a size 18 to a size 10. At her heaviest, she weighed 14 stones 5.5 lbs and now she is around 10 stone, a target she reached in May 2019. 

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Joe said: "We had done Slimming World before but then we had Isla and things went by the wayside.

"We, therefore, knew it works. What we like about is you can eat whatever you want, there is nothing restrictive about."

Slimming World was founded in 1969 by Margaret Miles-Bramwell (OBE) and focuses on a diet of Food Optimising, where members are given a list of ‘Syn Free’ food, that can be eaten in unlimited amounts including fruit, vegetables, pasta, potatoes, rice, lean meat, fish and eggs.

It is designed to help people lose about 1-2 pounds a week and around 900,000 members attend each weekly group across the UK.

Joe recently received a diamond award because he has stuck to the plan for a year and continues to attend classes. Isla also does not need further operations and is now walking.

He said: "The biggest thing for me is when I go into a shop. I don't need to worry about the size.

"It is little things like that which make you feel better about yourself."

She added: "We found the diet easy because our daughter was our motivation."

For more information about Slimming World, visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk or call 0344 897 8000. Follow Slimming World on Twitter at www.twitter.com/slimmingworld or become a Slimming World fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/slimmingworld.