"I gained quite a bit of weight in the last two years and I needed to go on something." The couple felt uncomfortable in their clothes and needed someone to hold them accountable. They found that accountability with the
Dr. Bernstein diet.

David and his wife Kathy signed up for
Dr. Bernstein's Family Challenge, kicking off their diet back in August.

David says, "With the help of the girls at the clinic, there are four nurses there and they answer every one of your questions every time so they told us anything that you did not understand just write it down."

David says one of his problems was portion control. He says the diet plan helped him change his eating pattern by consuming smaller portions.

Kathy says, "You really realize that certain foods you are eating are actually making you more hungry."

Six weeks after starting the family challenge, David and Kathy lost a combined total of 57 pounds.
After the challenge was over, they continued to lose weight. As of this week, they have lost a combined total of 85 pounds.

It's not surprising the couple won the competition. "When I started the diet I weighed 224 pounds and I am approximately 168 pounds right now. I was basically almost in a size 42 pants and I have a 36 on today and I probably should be in a 34 now," David says.

Kathy went from a size 12 to a little smaller than a size 0, weighing 100 pounds. "I am only four foot ten, so that's a good weight for me. And they actually really monitor, like my range was 100 to 105 and one of the days when I weighed in, I was like 100. And they were like we don't want you to go below your bottom range. You start your day looking in the mirror and you are like 'wow, that's good' and your day is good."

David says the accountability helped the couple stay focused. "I think also too because you are under a doctor's care, for example I was taking blood pressure medicine, I was taking cholesterol medicine and I am totally off of that right now."

Watch their interview with WPTV News Channel 5's Tania Rogers.