Battle now on to find region's biggest loser

Four determined slimmers were today preparing to do battle to shed as much weight as possible over the coming month and be crowned the Midlands' Biggest Loser.

The four finalists in the Express & Star contest, run in conjunction with Chris Jewkes Fitness in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, are 43-year-old Kerry Collins, from Penn; Sally Mears, 31, of Pendeford; Cheryl Gallagher, 42, of Sedgley; and Phil Westwood, 49, of Tipton.

They weigh in at a combined total of 77st 13lbs and, through daily exercise and a healthy diet, have been challenged to lose as much as possible over the next 31 days.

Gym owner Chris Jewkes, 41, said the foursome would be given a nutrition plan and put through an intensive "full body blast" of exercise and classes including spinning, group sessions, boxercise, pilates and bums and tums.

"The hardest thing they have told me they find is actually getting into a habit of being healthy, so I hope this will get kick-start them," he said. "They will have the support of friends and family and also the pressure of knowing it's going in the paper, along with their weekly weigh-ins.

"They couldn't have a better opportunity to seriously make a difference to their lives."

He said by setting realistic goals and objectives, and providing constant support, he hoped to keep them motivated.

"We get some fantastic results because we work on clients one-to-one. Setting realistic goals and objectives means people are less likely to get disheartened," he said.

Readers can be inspired by their weightloss as we feature weekly updates on their progress.