Earlier this month we put out a call for an adventurous couple who wanted to make a healthy lifestyle change together.

We all know that trying to lose weight when you’re in a relationship can be a bit of a struggle. Cosy nights in with a takeaway and a bottle of wine seem to win out over evenings at the gym, but our pals at Weight Watchers were willing to offer a couple a free place on a 12 week programme providing we could find the perfect duo.

We had a lot of entries but at the end of the day, there could only be one winning couple. Allow us to introduce you to Karen and Mark...

Karen and Mark will be taking on the Weight Watchers challenge

Karen and Mark are both living in Dublin. They met in college when they both started a Psychology degree and the rest, as they say, is history. They’ve been a hapilly loved-up couple for seven years now and the pair are hoping that taking up our challenge will result in some much-needed motivation when it comes to their health.

“Food wise, we love our food. We are each other’s worst enemies when it comes to food – once one person caves the other does too,” says Karen.

It’s a problem that many couples can identify with. Three years ago, Karen and Mark felt as though they had hit their lowest point in terms of their weight. The couple put on a good bit of weight and, in their own words, “everything was a size large.”

Karen says that her own wake-up call came when the couple were travelling in Australia.

“We went diving and I hit my lowest point of the large wet suit not fitting me and they had to get me an extra, extra large. It was humiliating,” said Karen.

“We were always the largest couple on all the activities and trips that we did,” she added.

The couple eventually managed to shed a little weight by having their own “biggest loser” compettion during their time in Australia. However, when they returned to Ireland, life got in the way and the weight went back on.

The couple have never tried the Weight Watchers programme before but are both up for the challenge. Their main goal is to rediscover their motivation, however Karen hopes that she can get back into her size 12 jeans. Meanwhile Mark wants to have a flatter stomach and eat better in general.

Over the next twelve weeks, Karen and Mark will be writing a weekly blog for Her.ie which will give us an in-depth look into what life is like on the Weight Watchers programme.

The best thing about the Weight Watchers programme is that the emphasis is on healthy eating rather than starving yourself or pushing yourself beyond your physical limitations. Nothing is ‘forbidden’ as long as you stick to your ProPoints allocation.

We’ll be catching up with Karen and Mark next week when they step on the Weight Watchers scales for the first time. Don’t miss it!

Do you want to join Karen and Mark? Find your nearest Weight Watchers classes here.