Real Success

John King is the much-deserved winner of our Greatest Loser 2006 competition after shedding an amazing 16 stone 9lbs! John, from Shotts in Scotland, battled against serious health problems to lose the weight and win the title.

After suffering three heart attacks because of his weight gain John says he was literally “waiting to die”. His life was so restricted by his weight that he spent most days alone upstairs in his bedroom, lying in bed or on the floor watching television “because I was far too heavy to sit on a sofa or chair. I spent thousands on beds – I wore them out within a year. And I had to have the bath taken out and replaced with a wet shower room.”

John’s health problems – which included asthma, disc lesions and arthritis - followed years of heavy drinking and a diet laden with pies, crisps, butter and takeaways. He admits: “My mother used to say that most people ate until they were full, but I ate until I was fed up.”

"My mother used to say that most people ate until they were full, but I ate until I was fed up."

Not only was his health seriously affected, but his day-to-day life was restricted and his relationships with his family and friends were limited and unfulfilling. He couldn’t even fit behind the wheel of the Land Rover cars he had once loved to work on, and was forced to drive a transit van. He was too embarrassed to take his grandchildren swimming and admitted: “I really felt for them when I picked them up from school in the transit because of the cruel remarks the other kids made.”

Now John says, “I’d go up those stairs to my room, lie down and think ‘If I’m told I need a triple bypass, who is ever going to operate on me?’ I was literally waiting to die. Joining Slimming World saved my life. Just three months after I joined, blood tests showed that I was no longer diabetic.

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The flexibility and freedom of Food Optimising gave John the freedom to enjoy all his favourite things, including Sunday lunches and Chinese meals.

“Before I joined Slimming World my day-to-day-life was extremely difficult. Just going out into the garden left me breathless and going out and meeting people was difficult because I constantly had to sit down or lean on something to take my weight.

“Now my life is completely different! I can go to family functions, go shopping or dancing with my wife, Joyce, who has been a saint. I can also undertake exercise such as cycling and walking the dog on the heath behind my house. Slimming World has not only given me my health back, it’s given me a life.”

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If you'd like to reveal the real you, find your nearest warm and friendly Slimming World group, where men and women are welcome.