Before Half the man he was
After the festive season of
overindulging on poultry, puddings and prosecco, many of us are left with a little more extra weight than we’d like.
With promises made to start afresh in the New Year, the cupboards are cleared and church halls and community centres are filled with like-minded ladies on a slimming mission to drop a dress size or whittle back their waists.
But what about the men?
Like a Tunnock’s teacake, big burly blokes may have a hard, shiny exterior but inside they’re as soft as marshmallow, sometimes feeling intimidated at the thought of stepping into the lionesses dens that are slimming groups. At Slimming World, they know that weight isn’t gender specific. While women have their body hang ups, men do too. After watching their beer bellies slowly creep up on them, many say enough is enough and take action for health reasons rather than appearance.
One man who is testimony to this is 45-year-old Peter Warrior from Bolton-on-Dearne.
At his heaviest, Peter tipped the scales at almost 30 stone due to years spent in the sedentary lifestyle of a HGV driver.
Before
After struggling with his weight most of his life, he reached a point where he couldn’t climb the stairs or do the weekly shop without getting short of breath – exercise was definitely out of the question. His weight caused a lack of confidence, fearing people were commenting on his size and feeling held back in both his work and social life.
On seeing a photo of himself at a family wedding, Peter realised he needed to make a change before it was too late.
Following limited success of trying on his own by cutting back on treats, Peter sought extra help to shift his excessive weight. “My daughter called round at our house one night on her way to Slimming World so I got my coat on and went with her. I’d thought about it for a while but didn’t have the courage to walk through the door on my own,” Peter says.
On entering his local group in February 2016, Peter was the only man in the room. As a big bloke at 6ft3, he stuck out like a sore thumb amidst a group of ladies and was worried he’d be faced with a couple of uncomfortable hours “I actually felt at ease straight away, they were so warm and welcoming. My consultant, Tammy, was knowledgeable and inspiring and explained the idea of Slimming World to me.”
By changing your lifestyle rather than a harsh diet, Slimming World has no limits, no forbidden foods, and no calorie counting, weighing or measuring. Instead, Food Optimising helps you make informed, educated food swaps to
Before 30 stone 48in waist
23in shirt collar
create a healthier way of cooking and eating.
They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so Peter was pleasantly surprised to find his favourite dishes were still on the menu such as a full English breakfast, roast dinner or lasagne.
“The only thing was I had to then pluck up the courage to tell my wife how to cook differently.”
“The only thing was I had to then pluck up the courage to tell my wife how to cook differently.”
If your wife or daughter has ever been on Slimming World, you’ve probably heard her going on about free food, healthy extras, and how many syns is in a glass of wine or bar of chocolate – but what do they all mean?
Free foods are hundreds of everyday foods that are syn free and can be eaten in any quantity, whenever you want. From fruit and vegetables to lean meat, pasta and potatoes to eggs and fat-free yoghurt, the choice available means you’ll never feel hungry.
Healthy extras comprise of one fibre choice and one dairy choice per day and include bread or cereal and milk or cheese.
The best part of Slimming World is the number of syns you can have daily, meaning treats are allowed in moderation. You can still have butter
ST ST
After 15 stone 7lb 36in waist
17in shirt collar
aroundtownmagazine.co.uk 21
on your morning toast, you don’t have to ditch the mayonnaise or ketchup with your dinner, and you can even have a biscuit with your cup of tea or a beer at the weekend. “The best thing for me is that I can still go out and enjoy a steak meal with my family. I can have chips if I fancy them and have some syns left over, or I’ll have a jacket potato if I’ve got the willpower that day.”
With Slimming World, you are in control of your weight loss, setting your own individual target that is achievable not daunting and can be increased as you reach it. “I knew I had about ten stone to lose but if I went in all guns blazing I’d never have reached it. I joined open minded and tried it for three months to see if it was for me; in the first week, I lost half a stone and by three months I’d lost two stone in total.”
Peter has lost almost nine stone with Slimming World, shedding almost half his body weight since he first began his slimming journey. He can now cycle up to 30 miles and play with his grandchildren who have also been educated to have a healthy lifestyle.
“I was looking at the kids playing outside and did a double take as they were all munching on carrots even though there were biscuits and crisps in the cupboard.” He has since been inspired to start his own group on a Monday night at Ings Lane Sports and Social Club in Bolton to help other men feel at home at slimming clubs.
After
After
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