Couple who shed 18st between them claim incredible weight loss saved love life

Karen and Craig Binns weighed just over 23 stone each when they met through a mutual friend in 2013. Mum-of-three Karen, 46, says the pair fell in love at first sight and by 2022 they were gorging on takeaways every lunch and dinner time, causing her weight to soar to 23 stone 1lb.

She admits she and 52-year-old Craig, who weighed 23 stone 7lbs, used to only have sex once a year because she didn't feel sexy and they lacked energy due to their size. They even broke two beds during their annual romps that 5ft 4in Karen says felt soul-destroying.

In 2022 Karen's son begged her to lose weight as he feared she'd die, so the couple joined Slimming World to change their lives. They swapped calorific takeaways for protein and vegetable-packed meals and in just one year Karen lost a whopping 11 stone, dropping from a size 32 to a slinky size 8.

Craig, who is 5ft 11in tall, shed 7.5stone and went from a size 5XL to a size large. Karen says losing almost 19 stone collectively has 'saved their lives' and rejuvenated their dying sex life. She claims they now have amazing sex at least once a day and even have the confidence to leave the lights on.

The proud duo are sharing their story to encourage others to shed pounds and improve their own relationships. Karen, from Hemsworth, West Yorkshire, said: "When we were really big we hardly ever had sex because we were too tired and didn't have the energy to do it.

"I was embarrassed of my size and didn't feel sexy. We broke two beds and that's embarrassing. It's funny now but at the time it was soul-destroying. Food was like an addiction. I didn't have a very high opinion of myself and had low self-esteem so I was either sleeping or eating.

"I turned to food for habit, comfort and boredom but I have always been unhappy being overweight. My youngest son came to me crying in a state asking me to lose weight as he was scared I was going to have a heart attack and die. Craig and I decided to give it a go so we went to Slimming World and we didn't look back.

"We lost weight every week for 12 months and I went from a size 32 to a size 8. I've now put a little bit of weight back on and am a size 12. Our sex life is amazing now that we've lost weight.

"We have sex once a day and we would do it more if we had more time. Before losing weight it was like once a year.

"Losing weight has given us a sex life, I'm the most confident I've ever felt."

Karen says that before losing weight she could easily scoff a 12-pack of crisps in a matter of minutes and McDonald's workers would even remember her order. Now she eats a balanced diet of fruit, veg and high-protein meals to maintain her svelte size-12 figure.

Karen said: "Before losing weight, I would get up and go to the shop and buy chocolate and crisps. I would buy a 12-pack of crisps and polish them off. I would buy large bars of chocolate, cakes and buns or anything that would give me a little sugar rush. I was having two takeaways a day.

"The guy at McDonald's knew my order as soon as he saw my car. It wasn't a good lifestyle and because you are bigger you have no energy. At the minute, I'm happy with where I am and when I look in the mirror, I feel confident and have a zest for life. Slimming World has changed my life."

Craig says he piled on almost 13 stone in nine months following an accident that damaged his spine. The dad-of-three said he turned to eating to 'grieve' the loss of his sporty lifestyle and decided to lose weight with Karen to get his life back on track.

Craig, also from Hemsworth, West Yorkshire, said: "I was very sporty when I had an accident so I went from 12 stone 7lbs to 25 stone in nine months because I damaged my spine. I was then eating loads because I felt like I'd lost my life and I was grieving.

"They told me if I didn't lose weight I'd need two new knees, I needed to make a change. We now have sex with the light on. we're world's apart from where we were. I feel like I'm 30 years younger and not 52. I have a lot more energy and I feel better in myself too."

Karen and Craig are both now Slimming World consultants and work to help support people trying to lose weight.

Karen said: "We can empathise with other people and help them to lose weight and get their life back, it's so rewarding.

"The first thing I would say is you need to believe in yourself that you can lose the weight and have the confidence to do it. The benefits are massive and outweigh the negatives."

KAREN'S DIET BEFORE LOSING WEIGHT

Breakfast: Chocolate, cakes, crisps

Lunch: McDonald's meal

Dinner: A takeaway

KAREN'S DIET AFTER LOSING WEIGHT:

Breakfast: Fruit and nuts or eggs and a bagel

Lunch: Jacket potato, salads

Dinner: High-protein meal e.g. chicken with vegetables

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