‘Fat Neil’s a thinner bloke’ after losing 13st!
After years of being known as ‘Fat Neil’ to his friends, it was a painful comment made to his young daughter that motivated 26½st Neil Richardson to begin a transformation that saw him lose nearly half his body weight.
On a family holiday in Wales, Neil’s two-year-old daughter asked him to play with her and another little boy but was left heartbroken when the boy quit their game, saying ‘I don’t want to sit with the big fat man’. The married dad-of-two says: “Hearing that and seeing my little girl’s face as her eyes welled up with tears was like being hit by a train. It was one thing for my weight to affect me, but I realised then that it was affecting my family too and I had to do something.”
Within days of returning home to Barnsley in South Yorkshire last June, Neil joined his local Slimming World group and started a journey that saw him lose 12st 10lbs. Now he’s been named Slimming World’s Man of the Year 2011.
Always bigger than his schoolmates, unhealthy eating habits and a lack of exercise saw Neil’s weight creep up slowly over the years until by June 2010 he weighed in at 26st 5lbs. He says: “I’ve always been known as ‘Fat Neil’ – it wasn’t an insult, it was just who I was. I wasn’t really unhappy about my weight, in fact it was probably a consequence of enjoying myself a little too much with lots of nights out with the lads, which usually involved plenty of beer and a kebab on the way home.”
Despite his XXXL size, Neil escaped any serious health problems but he struggled to keep up with his children, Josie, now three, and one-year-old Charlie, and was refused life insurance cover because of his weight. He says: “There’s not many people that live to a ripe old age at 27st and I knew I needed to do something because I wanted to be around for my kids and to be the best dad I could.”
The 2010 holiday was the final straw for Neil and within 24 hours of arriving home he found himself outside his local Slimming World group. “I play in a band so I’m not exactly shy, but walking into that room was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” he says. “Slimming clubs are very female environments so it is hard for men to take the plunge but the Consultant put me at ease instantly, chatting away like I’d known her all my life.”
Neil started following Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan, swapping greasy doner kebabs and takeaway curries for healthy homemade versions. “Rather than counting calories or following a strict regime, Slimming World helped me to educate myself about food and it was really empowering that I was making healthy choices for myself rather than being told what to eat. I found I could enjoy all my favourite foods and lose weight just by changing the way I cooked them, like using less oil and extra lean meat – and they tasted better! I still go out and have a beer with my mates too so it’s not affected my social life. I’ve discovered a healthy, balanced way of eating that will fit into my routine for the rest of my life. I’ve been at my target weight of 13st 9lbs for six months, it’s a change for life and I’m definitely not going back to being ‘Fat Neil’.”
Support worker Neil is much more active nowadays too. He’s bought a cross trainer and taken up running so keeping up with the kids isn’t a problem anymore. His proudest moment was winning the dad’s egg and spoon race at his daughter’s sports day recently: “It’s hard to explain how much that meant. The year before I went in 50in waist jeans and hid at the back. This year, after I won, my little girl ran up to me and said ‘I’m proud of you Dad’. They were the best five words I’ve ever heard.”
Neil’s family and friends have supported him throughout his weight loss. His wife has lost a stone by eating the same healthy meals, his mum has joined Slimming World herself and his brother Jonathan, a chef, helped him with lots of tips and recipes. Neil says: “I honestly think being part of a group is the best support anyone can get. Everyone there wants to achieve the same goal and, contrary to popular belief, there’s no jealousy or people laughing at you. It’s friendly and supportive – and men are every bit as welcome as everyone else.
“Even my mates have been behind me in their own blokey way. Not long ago now, I went to a fancy dress party but had to call in after work so I wasn’t wearing a costume. One of my friends spotted me and shouted ‘Look! It’s Fat Neil and he’s come dressed as a thinner bloke!’ The great thing is that this isn’t a costume, it’s really me and I am that thinner bloke.”
Fact File
Name: Neil Richardson
Age: 30
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
Starting weight: 26st 5lbs/369lbs/167kg
Current weight: 13st 9lbs/191lbs/86kg
Weight loss: 12st 10lbs/178lbs/81kg
Height: 5ft 10in
Joining date: June 2010
Reached target weight: March 2011 (Lost 12st by January 2011)
Group: Broadway group in Barnsley run by Christine Melhuish
Before menu
Breakfast: 3 rashers of fried bacon, 2 fried eggs, 1 large buttered bread bun and a slice of fried bread
Lunch: Beans on 4 slices of buttered toast and finish whatever kids left
Dinner: Spaghetti Bolognese with garlic bread, grated cheese and a couple of glasses of wine. On nights out he’s also have a few pints of beer, a bag of crisps or nuts then a kebab, burger or curry to finish the night off.
Snacks: Pasties, sandwiches, scotch eggs
After menu
Breakfast: Sauteed chestnut mushrooms and a poached egg or two on 2 slices of wholemeal toast
Lunch: Homemade tomato, basil and chilli soup with vegetables
Dinner: Gobi saag curry with rice and poppadoms or homemade doner kebab made with meat marinated in tandoori spices and served with a salad of shredded white cabbage, onion, cucumber and carrot with a dressing of fat free natural yogurt and lemon juice.
Snacks: Fruit, pickles including pickled onions, red cabbage, sauerkraut and jalapeno chillies
Treats: a glass of red wine or bottle of beer
– ends –
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To see a video of Neil talking about his weight loss visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiuwlmASbQE
For further information please contact the Slimming World press office on 01773 546101, 07920799106 or email public.relations@slimming-world.com
Notes to Editors
- Slimming World is the largest and most advanced slimming organisation in the UK. Margaret Miles-Bramwell (OBE, FRSA) founded the company in 1969 and there are now around 7,750 groups held weekly nationwide via a network of 2,700 Slimming World trained Consultants.
- 400,000 members attend Slimming World every week and achieve outstanding success.
- Members lose 17,857 stones every week: 2,551 stones every day, over 106 stones every hour, that’s 1 stone 10 lbs lost every minute of every day with Slimming World.
- Slimming World pioneered referral schemes in the UK and actively supports the building of partnerships with the NHS and local authorities to develop effective strategies to manage overweight and obesity in the community. Slimming World works with university researchers and specialists in an active research programme to further knowledge of the causes and treatment of obesity.
- Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, Food Optimising, and the principles behind Slimming World’s philosophy are based on a deep understanding of the challenges faced by overweight people. Slimming World integrates practical, up-to-date dietary advice with a highly developed support system.
- • Slimming World Consultants receive specific training in dietary aspects and the role of physical activity in weight control. The highly developed training focuses on facilitating behaviour change in a group environment, acknowledged by experts as being the most effective way to support long-term weight management.