Three brave men from Great Yarmouth who had the strength to make a healthy change have lost 10 stones between them.
Brian Hodson, 42, joined the Newtown Methodist Church Slimming World group in November 2017 where he met Ian Thompson, 48, and 41-year-old Karl Layton.
Now the trio, who have lost a combined weight of 10st 4lbs say they want to inspire more men to slim down.
Before joining Slimming World they all thought slimming clubs were aimed at women and assumed the focus would be on ‘diet’ food.
However, they decided to give it a try after their weight started to have an impact on their health and day-to-day lives.
Brian, who lost three stones, said: “Deep down I’d been unhappy with my weight for some time but it took me a long time to face up to it. When I joined the Newtown group, consultant Hollie Barrett instantly made me feel at ease.
“I thought I’d be living on nothing but salad, but I soon realised how wrong I’d been though.
“I lost 8lbs in my first week, which I never dreamed would happen, and I’ve never looked back.”
Karl, who has lost 3st 10lbs, said: “When I turned 40 I had to have a routine health check. My doctor advised me to try and lose some weight. I thought about it for months then one day I spotted a Slimming World advert in the paper.
“It was nerve-wracking walking through those doors for the first time but everyone was so supportive and now I look forward to seeing everyone each week.”
Ian’s wake-up call came when a friend warned him he was “a heart attack waiting to happen”.
He revealed: “As a roofing contractor, carrying all that extra weight up and down ladders was seriously taking its toll, I couldn’t work for longer than 10 minutes without having to take a break. Now I do a full day’s work without so much as getting breathless.”
He has since lost 3st 7lbs in seven months.
Consultant Hollie Barrett said: “They have all done brilliantly and we’re all amazed by their transformations. They truly are a real inspiration to everyone in the group.”
The Newtown Slimming World group is Thursdays at Newtown Methodist Church at 5.30pm or 7.30pm. Call Hollie on 07411 429436.
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