A WOMAN taking part in the York 10K this weekend has lost 14 stone - more than her husband weighs.

Jill Whitham, 36, of Third Avenue Heworth, weighed 24 stone and wore size 32 clothes when she married husband, Jack, 35, in April 2012. Today she weighs ten stone and wears size ten or 12.

The couple joined their local Weight Watchers group at Heworth Methodist church a month after marrying and Jill says it’s turned her life around.

She said: “I just came to the realisation that something had to be done. I knew I was overweight, but I don’t think I realised by how much. The penny just suddenly dropped. I think it must have had something to do with marrying my husband and thinking about our future together. I realised we were both killing ourselves.”

Jack, who weighed more than 18 stone in 2012 is 13 stone. As well as being a receptionist at Clifton Children’s Centre, Jill now leads Weight Watchers classes.

She said: “Within the past four years I have married my soul mate, then gone on to lose more than he actually weighs with the support of Weight Watchers.

“ I spent the majority of my adult life at least partially overweight, but gave up hope of losing it when diagnosed with an underactive thyroid, especially after a dietician told me I would never weigh under 14 stone because my metabolic rate would be stuck.

“ However, now I am living, breathing proof that anyone can change their life. I no longer complain about vegetables on my plate squeezing the room away for other “more delicious” foods.

“My life now is unrecognisable compared to my old life, I am training for a marathon, I have more energy than the sun.”

Jill said before the weight loss she was skipping breakfast and binging on chocolate and crisps, crumpets, cheese and chips. Now she has a breakfast of porridge and fruit, and prefers salads and jacket potatoes. She loves running and exercising her two labradors, chewy and poppy. Jill is training for a marathon later this year. York 10k on Sunday starts and finishes in Knavesmire Road.