WEIGH HEY
Man’s INCREDIBLE 15 stone weight loss – without giving up any fave foods
TIPPING the scales at a staggering 27 stone, Ben Muscroft realised something in his life had to change.
Daily life became a struggle for the 42-year-old - with even a walk leaving him gasping for breath.
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His reality check came on holiday when he was forced to miss out on the Great Wall of China.
Returning home determined to do something about his weight, Ben joined Slimming World, and now - 15 stone lighter - he's been crowned the diet brand's Man Of The Year.
Ben has dropped from 27st 8lbs to an impressive 12st after joining the weight-loss group in March 2015.
He even managed to blitz all his body fat without giving up some of his favourite dishes including creamy chicken and baked beans.
He said: “Before I lost weight life was just hard. I couldn’t walk for more than five minutes, I always felt out of breath and I just had no get-up-and-go.
"I had knee problems which made me scared to walk long distances because I worried it would just completely give out under the strain of my weight.
“I couldn’t even roll over in bed.
"It’s such an everyday thing for most people but if I wanted to change position to get more comfortable, I actually had to get up and move to the other side of the bed."
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And a trip to China to visit his brother showed Ben just how serious his weight problem had become.
He added: “Just getting to China was a bit of a battle.
"I had to ask for a seat belt extension in front of the entire plane which wasn’t the greatest of starts.
"Then the tray table wouldn’t lie flat so I had to eat my meals at a strange angle. It wasn’t a pleasant way to spend 20 hours.
“Then when we got to China, my size meant I missed out of certain activities.
"We visited the Great Wall of China, but I was too unfit to walk any of it, which I really regret.
"I also became something of a talking point because many people had never seen anyone my size before – so the looks and stares were plentiful.
“I knew something had to change."
Ben's dad and sister had tried the diet group and encouraged him to sign up - reluctantly he went along to a meeting.
"From that moment on my whole life changed for the better," he added.
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Ben admitted that one of the best things about his weight-loss journey was the fact that he didn't have to give up any of his favourite foods, he just had to learn to cook and prepare them in a different way.
He said: “To be honest when my consultant told me about all the foods I could eat while losing weight I thought it was too good to be true!
"I gave it my all though and in the first week I lost 10½lbs while enjoying meals like creamy coriander and mint chicken, which is my dad’s speciality."
On top of allowing him to lose half of his body weight, Ben's weight loss journey also helped him to find love with his girlfriend, Karen Parker, 52 - who he met at a slimming class.
And the pair are now looking forward to seeing the world together, including returning to China half the weight he was before.
He added: "What was different was that I was surrounded by like-minded people who were all on the same journey.
";I met someone special too – my girlfriend, Karen.
"At the size I was I’d grown used to the idea that I’d never find anyone who wanted to be with me.
"My Slimming World group didn’t just change my life, it gave me a life I never thought I’d be lucky enough to have.
"Next year I’m planning on returning to China with Karen so that she can meet my brother and I know this trip will be full of amazing memories.
"We’ve got our whole future ahead of us and I can’t wait to see what’s in store.”
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Ben's weight loss has also helped spark a new passion for exercise, and he has even started running half-marathons.
He said: "When you weigh more than 27st even the simplest tasks really take it out of you.
"I couldn’t walk the short distance to Hillsborough Football Stadium without getting out of breath.
"I started building up my walking and then started running, which I really enjoyed.
"In fact, I ran my first half marathon in one hour 50 minutes, which I was really proud of. I also enjoy boxing and yoga – it’s just become part of my life now.
“The only thing I regret is that I didn’t do it 20 years sooner. It’s not just the health benefits – it’s freeing yourself from all of the things that used to hold you back."
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