Who will triumph as biggest loser?

The overweight quartet are being put through their paces over the next month while getting free one-on-one advice and encouragement from a personal trainer at Chris Jewkes Fitness on Danescourt Road, Tettenhall.

There will be three visits a week to the gym and constant monitoring of their eating habits,

Last year the former Army physical training instructor helped four readers transform their lives with two of them losing more than two stone in the four weeks spent under instruction from his staff.

One of those taking on the challenge this year is Mandy Stevens, aged 53, from Albrighton.

She said: "I lost my dad last year and that did not help. I was not comfort eating but eating at the wrong time and the wrong food while regularly visiting him in hospital during the final months of his life."

Karl Woodhouse, of Penn says he struggled when it comes to preparing the right sort of food in advance – especially as he travels a lot for work. He said: "I would rather shop at the motorway service station or airport.

"My wife Kerrie watches what she eats but does not have a go at me if I am putting on weight."

Karl, who is vice chairman of Trysull Tigers football club, said: "I am worried about my health. My dad died from a massive heart attack while walking along a street that was put down to poor diet and smoking.

"When I have gone to the gym in the past I have let other things get in the way."

Widower Sandra Harris, aged 66 – who weighs in at 13st 7lb – and 29-year-old James Hardman both of Upper Gornal have also signed up.

James, who weighs in at 21st 7lb is hoping to shed 5st and vows that this time it will be for good.

He said: "I have not been able to get rid of the weight in the past but hope that will all change with somebody helping me to do it."

There will be regular updates on our team's progress throughout the challenge.

[breakout title="Mandy Stevens, aged 53

She is community co-ordinator for Activeyes, an organisation set up by the Beacon Centre for the Blind and Wolverhampton City Council to help visually impaired adults to take part in more leisure activity and enjoy other events.

They are currently revamping an allotment in a project expected to feature in a forthcoming BBC TV programme.

Mandy blames the menopause for her increase in weight and explained: "I was never terribly overweight and was a comfortable dress size 14 before it hit me at 50.

[breakout title="Karl Woodhouse, aged 40

He tips the scales at 21 stone and said the weight started to pile on when he gave up smoking.

He also travels widely as the technical manager in this country for a German manufacturer of suspended ceilings, which makes it difficult to eat regular meals.

Karl said: "I was smoking 30 or 40 a day and started to put weight on when I quit. I have managed to lose some of it in the past but it just comes back again.

"The job does not help in that regard. I can be all over the country and sometimes have to fly to Ireland and back in a day.

[breakout title="James Hardman, aged 29

He wants to lose five stone – although he appreciates that it will take a lot longer than a month for that to happen.

When he was 15 he developed Bell's Palsy, a condition that causes temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in one side of the face.

James explained: "I was put on steroids as part of the treatment and put on five stone in 12 months. People couldn't recognise me.

"I had been like a stick until then. I got rid of the Bell's Palsy but could never get rid of the weight.

"I am up and off to work at 4am and am neither eating at the right time nor eating the right food.

"I used to play football until I got Bell's Palsy but have not played sport since.

"I work hard in the foundry and like my fishing. My main problem will be finding the time to prepare the proper food I should be eating and cutting out the chocolate and crisps.

[breakout title="Sandra Harris, aged 66

A former Special Constable, for 13 years she held a variety of different jobs including a post of company secretary before turning to voluntary work and becoming an administrator at Weight Watchers.

She is 5ft 1ins tall and 13 stone 7lbs. "It's about time I started practising what I have been preaching," confessed Sandra.

She continued: "I started putting the weight on when my husband Bert died in 1988.

"It was a terrible shock.

"He died from a massive brain haemorrhage and I found him when I came home from work.

"I retired from the Specials the following year because I missed his support.

"I was comfort eating and I went from slimbo to sumo.

"I was a dress size 10 in 1976 and now its a size 22. I'm like a big balloon.

"If I get any bigger I will collapse and that makes me all the more determined to start getting this weight off before it is too late.