Meet the brother and sister from Stoke-on-Trent who have lost a combined 13st after a joint weight loss mission.

Adam Birks, 27, and Charlie Hodson, 31, decided to make a change after confessing to each other they were unhappy with their weight.

And now they regularly run together and are prepping for their first half marathon in just under two weeks.

Adam - who weighed 23st 7lbs at his heaviest - felt "lost" and struggled to leave the house.

Gorging on takeaways and constantly binge eating, Adam decided enough was enough after seeing others on social media making a change.

He swapped the takeaways for smaller protein-filled meals and ditched the snacks for vitamins and protein bars.

Charlie and Adam are preparing for their first half marathon in just under two weeks (SWNS).

After combining the use of an exercise hula hoop, the gym and regular running, Adam has lost 6st 3lbs in just under two years and now weighs 17st 4lbs.

Adam now walks around 20,000 steps a day, runs three times and hits the gym four times a week.

Mum-of-three Charlie described life as "miserable" and previously weighed 16st 9lbs, struggling to squeeze into a size 18 at her heaviest.

After her nine-year-old asked her why she was breathing so heavily, Charlie knew she needed to change.

She ditched her "lazy" diet of cakes, chocolate and takeaways for fruit, vegetables and protein.

After initial progress - losing 6st - Charlie put all the weight back on when she gave birth to her third last July.

But after her partner popped the question, Charlie was desperate to lose the weight again to fit into her ideal wedding dress.

The pair, from Stoke-on-Trent, regularly run together (SWNS).

She began running, calorie counting and doing home workouts.

In just 11 months, Charlie was able to lose 6st 7lbs in time to walk down the aisle.

Adam, a nursing assistant from Stoke-on-Trent, said: "It's been incredible to do it with my sister. 

"She is the person I'm closest to in my life. 

"She's had a lot of her own struggles too.

"She's always working and she needed to lose extra weight for the wedding and she's absolutely smashed it."

Charlie, a Greggs worker from Stoke-on-Trent, said: "I can't tell you how inspiring he is. 

"He's so selfless and he does so much for others. 

"The other day I ran 10km in 54:36 and I rang him and he was so happy for me - I can't even tell you how incredible he is."

Adam said he was bullied for his weight in school and "didn't care" about what he was eating.

He said: "I used to be housebound other than work - I was completely lost.

Adam has recently been shortlised for the Pride of Britain awards for 'inspirational fundraising' (SWNS).

"My weight had destroyed my mental health. I'd always wear hoodies, nothing that would expose my skin.

"My diet was terrible. I used to eat takeaways all the time - I didn't care about what would go into my body."

He decided enough was enough in November 2022 and started home workouts - including live streaming himself hula hooping - and lost 3st in three months.

He started the gym in August 2023 and when he was 20st 9lb applied to join the army - but he needed to lose a further 23kg to be accepted.

After going on to shift the weight, Adam passed his first interview on 16th September and is awaiting his medical history results.

"Starting to jog in January this year changed my whole mindset and life", he said.

Adam has recently been shortlised for the Pride of Britain awards for 'inspirational fundraising' thanks to his work in his local community.

Charlie said her weight made her feel "sad" and didn't allow her to enjoy life properly.

She added: "Even playing with the children was hard and I'd get out of breath quickly. 

"My eldest is nine now and he'd asked me why I was breathing so heavily - it opened my eyes.

"I knew I wanted to make the change for myself, so I felt better.

"I started in 2020 and my youngest had just turned one and when I was pregnant with my third I put a lot of weight on again last year.

"We booked the wedding in October 2022 and I didn't want to go dress shopping whilst pregnant and I was almost the heaviest I'd ever been when the baby was born."

She started running and ordered her wedding dress in February 2023.

Ahead of her wedding in June last year fitters had to take 8in off her dress.

"I am now 64kg - 10st 2lbs - and I lost 42.5kg - 6st 7lbs - a person almost!" she said.

"I love running.

"I try to run at least every other day and I honestly can't remember the last time we ordered a takeaway."

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