Podgy parents who BOTH piled on the pounds during pregnancy have lost 13 stone by ditching their 8,000 calorie diet

PODGY parents Debbie and Brandon Potter indulged in late night takeaways and gave in to their food cravings following the birth of their first child Brayson in 2013.

At their largest the couple's combined weight reached a staggering 34st 6lbs after consuming 8,000 calories per day - at their worst scoffing fast food for every meal.

Debbie, now 28, started dieting after struggling to bath Brayson and their second child 18-month-old Jonah because the extra weight left her exhausted.

And after watching hubby Brandon, 29, successfully lose nearly three stone in three months, she switched her high-calorie convenience food in favour of freshly prepared homemade food.

She also incorporated exercising six times a week which included family walks, and eventually the determined couple lost an huge 13 stone between them.

New Yorker Debbie now weighs 8st 5lb , going from a size 18 to a size UK 2 and Brandon has dropped from a size 46 to a size 34 and now weighs 12st 8lb.

The ship-shape mum and dad are currently expecting their third child but are cautious not to fall into their previous eating habits.

Online fitness advisor Debbie said: "I was heavy when I met my husband, but I continued to put on more weight during my pregnancy and used the children as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted.

"No one would say anything to me about my eating habits because I was pregnant and I had an excuse to be fat.

"I never thought about what I was eating, I just ate whatever I wanted and whatever felt good in the moment.

"My light bulb moment was when I was giving my two kids a bath and I realised I couldn't stand up afterwards.

"I had to pull myself up holding onto the sink and even doing that was tiring.

"I was humiliated because I needed assistance to do simple tasks.

"As hard as this is to admit, before I used to just put my kids in front of the TV because I didn't have energy I didn't want to take them out anywhere.

"Now since losing weight all I want to do is to be out - I take them to parks, to the store, I want to do every I can in life with them.

"My children are now my reason to stay healthy, not my excuse as to why I can't.

"My husband and I have encouraged each other and helped one another to keep on track when times get hard.

"We both shed our post-pregnancy baby weight, we're the healthiest and happiest we've ever been."

Debbie believes her initial weight gain began in rebellion against traumatic relationship in which an ex-boyfriend used to bully her - leading her to developing anorexia and dropping down to 6st 7lb.

She started taking diet pills and skipping meals as a result of the mental abuse and eventually was left with an underweight BMI of 14.9 - the healthy range is between 18.5 to 24.9.

Debbie added: "After that relationship finished I ate whatever I wanted, I was told no one would ever want to date a 'fat cow like me' so I gave up and piled on more and more weight."

Years later, after starting a family together with Brandon, the parents continued to increase in size due to fast food binges during pregnancies, with Debbie eventually weighing 15st 3lb and Brandon 20st 7lb.

Now having both lost more than twelve stone between them, they say their success is down to exercise, healthy eating and avoid temptation by creating healthy adaptions of their favourite recipes.