AN ERNESETTLE man has been inspired by his wife to sign up to the loveLIFE campaign and lose weight.

Philip Dunne, aged 55, has decided to sign up after feeling inspired by his wife, Susan Dunne, whose pound-shedding progress we have been following.

Philip is hoping he will lose nearly seven stone over the course of the campaign, going from 23 and a half stone, or 148.6kg, down to 16 stone.

Philip said: "I've been on a weight management programme since October and it's been going really well.

"On the programme they go through what's good for you and what's not, look at diet sheets and we do circuit training."

His decision to lose weight has come since orthopaedic surgeons warned that they could not operate on Philip at his current size.

Philip has suffered with curvature of the spine since 1996 so is hoping that with the help of Everyone Active Brickfields on their weight management programme, he can have the operation he's been waiting for.

The two year programme, which he has been doing for three months, has now moved on to gym work, so he plans to count what he achieves in the gym in steps or miles, as well as the pounds in weight he has lost, towards the campaign.

Speaking of his wife's progress, Philip said:"Susan goes three times a week and she's doing really well.

"She's gone down a few dress sizes and got new clothes. She's really got into it and I'd love to be like that. If I could get my weight down I'd feel so much better for it.

"I want to go with her as well, I'll even go an extra day for my class on Friday's so that will massively help my weight," he said.

Susan is also happy with her husband following in her footsteps.

"She's pleased that I'm getting involved, she goes down there on her own but if we did it together we could stay longer, it wouldn't be so laborious and we could encourage each other," he added.

And it's not just for his weight Philip wants to get in the gym and do more exercise, the grandfather-of-three said: "It would be ideal for doing things with the grandchildren as well, I'd love to do more with them – take them to the beach or onto the football pitch – that's a great incentive."