Real Success

Nathan Taylor from Doncaster swapped takeaways for home-cooked food to help him lose nearly 7st! Nathan shares his story with us here…

“From the age of 10, I lived to eat. I’ll never forget the first time my parents let me stay with my aunt on my own during the summer holidays. Their faces were a picture when they picked me up a fortnight later. They couldn’t believe how much I’d grown – outwards! In just two weeks of being allowed to eat whatever I liked, I’d piled on a stone and a half in weight.

“I pretty much carried on that way for the next 12 years. I didn’t have a particular weakness – just food, full stop. I’d snack all day, eat a huge meal, go out for an evening of drinking, and stop for a takeaway on the way home. Eating pretty much on an hourly basis, I didn’t know what it actually felt like to be hungry.

“I tried a few diets: the starvation diet, the cabbage soup diet, calorie-counting. I could never stick to them and the weight always went straight back on. I decided life was too short to feel deprived, however much I wanted to lose weight.

“My wake-up call came Christmas 2008. Because of my size, I kept covered up at all times, despite the central-heating being on full blast, and as we sat down to our turkey dinner with all the trimmings, the sweat was pouring off me. I refused to take my hoodie off, feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed. Suddenly it hit me – there I was in my early 20s, and I was too ashamed even to let my family and friends see me wearing a T-shirt. It seemed sad and utterly ridiculous.

“Then a flyer for my local Slimming World group dropped through my letter box. I decided that a regular weekly weigh-in was what I needed to keep me focused to lose weight.

“It was pretty daunting walking into a group of 90 per cent women for the first time, but I was made to feel really welcome.

“I took to Food Optimising straightaway. Out went the takeaways and in came meals like home-made burger and Slimming World chips.

I was impressed when I lost 9lbs in my first week. Over the next three months I lost 4st, winning Slimmer of the Week every week except one. It could have been a bit embarrassing, but the rest of the group was always really pleased for me."

“I soon reached my initial target weight and then I lowered it several times before eventually settling at my current weight – I’d lost 6st 12½lbs altogether!

“I’ve joined a gym now, plus I enjoy putting my trainers on and going out for a run. I’ve lost a total of 17in from my waist, and although I’ve still got some loose skin on my stomach, I’m working my way towards a six-pack. Life’s just great these days, and it’s all thanks to Slimming World!”