A COUPLE from Burnley who have managed to ‘lite’ up their lives are backing a campaign to help others get rid of their love handles.

Tim and June Stephenson have lost three-and-a-half stone between them since enrolling on the Lite4Life programme at St Peter’s Centre.

And the achievement is all the more remarkable for 53-year-old June, who has always found it difficult to slim because she suffers from Type 1 diabetes.

But after being referred to the 10-week programme by her GP, June and Tim, 53, never looked back.

The pair lost nearly two stone by the end of their sessions but took what they had learned to heart and shed the rest later.

Long walks with two of their four grandchildren, Callam, 10, and six-year-old Zoe Stephenson across Towneley Park have helped the weight drop off.

Tim, of Melrose Avenue, who works as a production engineer at Aircelle, said: “It has cost me a fortune in new jeans!”

With the help of dieticians the Stephensons were told to watch their intake of carbohyrdates, sugars and fats, but there were no banned foods. “The canteen at work has been very helpful and encouraged me too, when they knew what I was doing,” added Tim.

“I went in wanting cheese on toast one time and they pointed me towards the fruit counter instead.”

June, who works at Protech in Nelson, is going to return to the programme, with Tim in the near future.

The Lite4Life schemes, run by the borough council’s healthy lifestyles team, include men-only, women-only and couples variations.