A formerly 32-stone councillor who once ate a sausage roll, steak slice and four chocolate bars for breakfast has halved his body weight in just 12 months.
Mark Gingell is quite literally half the man he was a year ago after shedding 16-stone and seeing his waist size shrink from 62in to 39in.
"When I took early retirement, I steadily put on more weight and at my biggest was probably around 35-stone," said the retired teacher, who's starting weight was 32st 1.5lbs when he joined the Slimming World group in Diss in October 2018.
A radical change to his daily diet, with meals now featuring homemade quiche and lasagne, fruit and vegetables rather than kebabs, chips, cakes and ice cream, has brought about a transformation.
He said: "I have now lost half of my body weight just before Christmas; 16st 1.5lbs attending the Slimming World group every week without fail and over 19st lost from my very heaviest weight.
"After I had lost close to 100 lbs, I actually felt light on my feet for the first time and even though my weight loss has been consistent, it was weird that this felt as though it happened one week and not gradually, which was a strange feeling."
Mr Gingell, 55, who lives in Shelfanger and now volunteers at Diss Citizens Advice as a benefits specialist and sits on Diss Town Council, said issues with his weight go back to childhood.
"I have probably been overweight for long periods of time, obese for most of my life, as I was 11lb 8oz at birth," he said. "I can't remember ever being thin but can remember being called fat for the first time as a toddler, children can be cruel."
He was 24st by the age of 33 and was advised to lose weight after a medical as part of an adoption assessment with his wife Amanda, with whom he also has daughters Madeleine-Rose, 18, and Gabrielle-Mae, 16.
The lifestyle changes he has made in the past year have included longer walks with the dogs, exercise including swimming and cycling and cutting out takeaways and late-night meals.
His dramatic weight loss has had a positive impact on his life including improving his eyesight which had been deteriorating.
More unusual benefits have included being able to drive using just a standard seat belt, rather than having to use an extender, and sleeping without the need for extra support underneath the bed.
He said: "I still have a bit to go and then the next challenge will be to maintain that loss for the rest of my life."
His success has seen him urge others to follow his lead, working with Diss Slimming World consultant Jane Aldous.
"I have encouraged three members of my village and a fellow Diss Town councillor to come to Slimming World and between them they have lost just over 10 stones," he said. "The five of us have lost a total of 26 stones between us and that is a serious amount of weight."
- Slimming World meets at Diss Youth and Community Centre, Shelfanger Road, on Tuesday (10am) and Thursday (10am/12pm). More details on 07747 788062.
TYPICAL DAILY MENU BEFORE
Breakfast: Sausage roll, steak slice, KitKat Chunky, Twix and two Club bars with mug of tea (three sugars).
Lunch: Four sandwiches made with four slices of thick white bread, spread with margarine, ham and mayonnaise, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, along with two packets of Walkers cheese and onion crisps and Snickers Bar with a Pepsi Max.
Dinner: Large donner kebab with chilli sauce and large chips, quarter of a hot cake with half a tub of Hagen-Dazs ice cream.
Snacks: Bananas, apples, crisps and chocolate bars.
Late at night: Four slices of thick white bread toast, spread with margarine, two with crunchy peanut butter and two with lemon and lime marmalade or chocolate spread; followed by chicken flavoured crisps and an almond Magnum.
TYPICAL DAILY MENU AFTER
Breakfast: Two bacon medallions (all fat trimmed off), half tin of plum tomatoes, half tin of baked beans, two slices of toasted Nimble, a third of a punnet of mushrooms and two large eggs cooked with a spray of Fry Light. Black Americano (no milk, no sugar).
Lunch: Half of my own crustless quiche and salad: lettuce, cucumber, beetroot, onion, tomato, pickled onion, gherkin, with peppers, mushrooms, onions, quark, onion and chive cottage cheese, eggs and a small amount of cheese in the quiche. Pepsi Max Raspberry to drink.
Dinner: Slimming World Lasagne with carrots, beans, peas, broccoli and Brussel sprouts. Blackberries, black currents, strawberries, raspberries, melon, red currents (most from frozen fruit packs) with a Kvarg flavoured Quark Pot.
Snacks: A banana, apples, pears, strawberries (June to September). Do not always snack though.
Late at night: Nothing
MARK'S SIZES IN OCTOBER 2018
7XL tops and 72" trousers
Chest: 59"
Neck: 20.5"
Upper Arm: 18.5"
Wrist: 9.25"
Waist: 62"
Hips: 70"
Thigh: 39.5"
MARK'S SIZES NOW
L tops and 38" trousers
Chest: 46"
Neck: 15.5"
Upper Arm: 14"
Wrist: 7.5"
Waist: 39"
Hips: 46"
Thigh: 25"
Total Inches Lost: 85.75" (Just over 7ft)
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