George's story

by Jenny Bryan

Put a large tub of ice cream, a giant pack of crisps or other tempting goodies in front of George today and he'll push them away with a laugh. But a year or two ago, when he weighed in at 20 stone, he wouldn't have been able to resist. He and his mates, Paul and Andy, would head for the late showing at the cinema when they finished work. But it wasn't the film they were interested in, it was the popcorn, sweets and six-scoop ice creams that were on sale.

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'We liked to start with a cheese hotdog or two and then maybe move on to some brazil nuts, chocolates and ice cream,' he recalls.

By the time the men – all in their late 30s – went to bed, they had dreadful indigestion, but they couldn't help repeating the whole process the following week.

dieting's a laugh!

As each of them approached the 20 stone mark, they agreed it would have to stop. Paul frightened himself when he nearly collapsed while carrying his sick child one day. The three men joined Slimmers World Men's Group in Liverpool and, as the pounds have come off, they all agree it's been a great laugh.

'I've never laughed so much as I have in the last 14 weeks. I've told the kids they can torment me and my little girl comes and says, "Look what I'm eating dad." I can smell the flavour of the crisps, I'm drooling, but I still say "no!"' says George.

He's lost three stone and now knows his way around the supermarket and the kitchen. He's so familiar with healthy eating diet sheets that he's helping Peter whom he met at Slimmers World to work out a diet plan:

'I got help and I'd like to help him. It's hard when you're doing everything right and you can't lose weight. It hurts. So I'm going to help him work out a seven day plan.'

(October 2001)