After being unhappy for a while due to his weight, Chris decided to make a return to football to help lose the lbs and take control of his health.
Read on to find out how he used it to spur him on to lose weight, with a little help from his MAN v FAT Football coach and teammates.
Name: Chris
Age: 37
Location: Surrey
Club: MAN v FAT Guildford
Weight lost: 23.1kg (3st 8.9lbs, 50.9lbs)
What was your life like before you joined MAN v FAT Football?
Lazy. I’d lie around on the sofa feeling sorry for myself, completely lacking any desire to do anything. I don’t like going out running or going to the gym.
This laziness led to boredom, and boredom led to eating more, with crisps, chocolate and bread being my main vices. During lockdown I was drinking more beer for no real reason other than because I could.
I’ve struggled with my weight yo-yoing since I was in my early twenties.
What made you decide to change?
I knew I needed to change but there wasn’t one catalyst. I missed playing football and it was the only exercise I could see myself doing. I then saw the Facebook ad for MVFF and signed up straight away. I was unhappy, unhealthy and had to make a change.
What has it been like being a part of your MAN v FAT Football club?
I’ve been lucky, the boys in my ‘Man Titty’ team are brilliant. We have a great turnout each week which has allowed us to build a great team spirit. We don’t have any egos, encourage each other and if we do get annoyed at each other if it isn’t going our way (we do like to win after all) it’s forgotten as quickly as it happened.
What did you eat before you lost weight?
I’d eat cereal or toast for breakfast, sometimes both. A sausage buttie or two for lunch with some sort of chocolate and crisps. Dinner would be more beige junk food with a pudding.
What do you eat now?
Through my weight loss I’ve been fasting and restricting myself to one meal a day. I know this doesn’t work for everyone and isn’t the gold standard in how to lose weight but it’s what works for me. I get some protein and some carbs in and drink around 2L of water a day.
How has life changed now you’ve lost weight?
The early part of weight loss was hard, I was really, really hungry. I’d move myself away from food as often as possible which helped with the weight loss as this would get me out the house more and walking. However, now, I feel better, energetic and have less money as I’ve been buying clothes I’ve wanted for a long time!
What three things do other fat men need to know about losing weight?
1. It’s hard work, no one will do it for you.
2. You’re fat, get over it and get on with making yourself feel better.
3. Find the right path for you – what works for one fat man might not work for you.
Would you like our free support?
If you live in Surrey, we can provide you with a funded space in the Guildford or Woking league to help you on your weight loss journey.
Find out more about our FREE Stop Smoking and Lose Weight Programmes.
