Dave Winchester said his father’s dying wish was to lose weight. The 36-year-old used to weigh 27 stones. He remembers breaking beds, sofas and chairs and being abused by strangers in the street because of his weight.
A data analyst from Kent, Mr. Winchester, rarely left home. He also struggled to find clothes online or drive because his stomach would be slammed into the handlebars.
But he has now been named Slimming World’s Man of the Year for a whopping 14 stone.
Slimming World helps Brits lose weight through beneficial changes to their lifestyle, diets and fitness regime. Last year’s winner, Ken McLeod, won the award for losing nine stones in the span of 18 months.
He said he did so after being “given a new chance at life”.
The retired Yorkshire police detective changed his life after struggling with his health.
After reaching over 23 stone as he became less active in his role as a police detective, Ken knew he had to do something about his weight. He said: “I started to gain weight, but it seemed so gradual that I didn’t pay much attention to it. My job became more office based and semi-retired. I found I had more time to eat out and socialize, I had’ I didn’t realize how unwell I was getting.
“I used to love gardening and tinkering in the garage on old cars, but I got so out of breath and struggled to get up from the floor that I started to lose interest in the things I loved most. “
Ken’s weight prevented him from enjoying daily activities and even vacations with his wife Jeannette. The couple took a trip to Scotland in 2018, which motivated Ken to change his lifestyle.
A life-threatening health condition was also a catalyst.
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The 62-year-old said: “Looking back on that trip to Scotland with Jeanette, I felt like we had missed so much because I couldn’t walk far and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
“Then, the morning of our thirty-ninth wedding anniversary, I woke up with a terrible pain in my calf, I decided to go for a walk to ease the pain, but became so unwell that I collapsed on the street.
“I had developed a thrombosis, which led to a pulmonary embolism. During my trip to the hospital I went into cardiac arrest and my heart stopped for ten minutes.
“I miraculously survived my ordeal, but it took me more than 12 months to fully recover, mainly because I was so overweight and unfit.
“I knew something had to change and inspired by one of my friends who had been successful with a local Slimming World group and on the impulse of Jeanette I decided to give it a go.”