THEY say two is company and three’s a crowd.

It’s particularly true for Martin and Sabrina Naylor after a slimming programme that has seen them collectively shed the weight of a grown adult.

They started after a health scare. Mrs Naylor was admitted to hospital for an operation on her knee in August 2010, but her 23 stone weight caused complications and doctors could not bring her round from the anaesthetic.

She spent seven hours in intensive care as medical staff struggled to get her to breathe on her own.

She survived, and the experience literally frightened the couple into losing weight.

Mrs Naylor, who works at Tesco in Pingle Drive, Bicester, has lost six-and-a-half stone dropping from 23 stone to 16-and-a-half.

The 29-year-old from Windrush Close, Bicester, said: “I half-heartedly tried to lose weight before I dislocated my knee. But what happened after the operation really shocked me.

“To lose the weight feels absolutely amazing. I never thought I would be able to do it after the amount of times I have joined slimming clubs and failed. It has changed our lives completely.”

Mr Naylor, 30, said: “It was pretty scary. I was 29 and had got to that age with no health problems and felt I had pushed my luck. We said we have got to do something. Sabrina joined Slimming World before me and I was doing it at home, but I soon realised I could not do it without going.”

For several months factory supervisor Mr Naylor was the only man in the group, which meets at Longfields School, Bicester, but he persevered and the weight started to drop off his 20st 9lb frame.

A year later he has dropped more than six stone and weighs in at 13st 13lbs. He said: “I’m like a new man. The biggest thing is the compliments – all of my life I have been told I’m fat.”

Mr Naylor has another reason to celebrate – he has won the slimming group’s Man of the Year award, and together they won Couple of the Year.

He now goes through to the national competition with the chance of a holiday in Cuba and £3,000.