I was eating myself to death and looked like a monster before 2 lifestyle changes helped me shed 8st in months
CHRIS Martin felt like a 'monster' in his own skin, convinced he was eating himself to death.
But two simple changes helped the 39-year-old shed more than 8st in just a few months in a "lifechanging" transformation.
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'They were just looking at the shell of who I was," the carer from Bury St Edmunds, said. "And the shell was just a huge, huge man."
At his heaviest in June 2024, Chris, who lives with his his partner Kayleigh Durrant and son Arlo, weighed 24st 4lbs, while standing a and wore a size 5XL.
'I've always been a big guy and throughout the last 10 years, I've been gaining more and more weight,' he explained.
'I've been well over 20 stone for a good number of years.'
He struggled with even simple activities, unable to run at sports day or join theme park rides for fear of breaking the weight limit.
'I always thought I was like a monster, I didn't like the way I looked and whenever I walked around, I noticed people looking at me,' he said.
Years of inconsistent exercise and unhealthy eating habits had taken their toll.
'I was having one meal a day and snacking throughout, but that one meal would be a takeaway,' Chris admitted.
'I wasn't thinking about calories, I'd eat a packet of biscuits when I was working as a carer in the community and I didn't have time to sit down and eat properly.'
His size affected his confidence, mental health and ability to do things he wanted to get involved in.
GP-approved tips to really lose weight safely - and keep it off
'It's very hard when you're a man of my size as you can't go into shops and buy clothes, everything had to be online specialist shops which was very demoralising," he said.
He added: 'I used to watch other parents do the races at sports days and think, 'Next year I'll be able to do that,' but I never did."
'Going on rides, I was a huge gentleman and I couldn't go on these things for fear of breaking the weight limit.
"Going into the cinema or going to watch football in a stadium, I always felt squashed and was not able to enjoy myself.'
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Chris, who is also a father to two other children from a previous relationship, knew he had to change as he approached 40, for himself and his one-year-old son, Arlo.
'With Arlo coming into his second year, I want to live as long as I can for him,' he said.
'Man v Fat Football has changed my life completely'
Scrolling through Facebook one day in May 2024, Chris spotted an advert for Man v Fat Football, a league combining football matches with weight loss goals.
'I signed up but the self-doubt started creeping in. I was thinking I'm too big and I wouldn't be able to do it,' he said.
'Even buying all the equipment, like the football boots, I just felt silly.'
Chris pushed past his fears and attended his first match on June 4, 2024.
'I was so out of breath during my first game but, over time, it got easier and I was losing weight each week.'
Since then, Chris has lost an incredible 7st 10lbs and now weighs 16st 8lbs. His clothing size has dropped to XL, sometimes even a large depending on the brand.
What is Man v Fat Football?
Man v Fat Football is a weight loss programme for men that combines football with weekly weigh-ins.
Participants play six-a-side matches, and their weight loss contributes to their team's standing in a league table.
The idea is to encourage men to lose weight while enjoying the social side of playing football.
Alongside the games, the programme offers support like healthy eating advice and fitness tips.
It's designed to keep men motivated by mixing competition with camaraderie.
Many participants say it helps them stick with weight loss efforts because they're part of a team.
The programme is growing in popularity across the UK as a different approach to tackling obesity in men.
Find out more on the Man v Fat Football website.
'Before, I never ate vegetables but now I'm trying new things, we eat lots of dishes with vegetables and lots of curries,' he said.
Now captain of his football team, Chris credits the programme with changing his life.
'Man v Fat Football has changed my life completely, from not being mobile and eating myself to death, to now being conscious of what I'm eating and having more confidence,' he said.
'It's definitely improved my confidence. I can go into shops to look at clothes now rather than feeling out of place, and I can walk around and not be noticed.
'To do things with my children and be present with them, it means the world to me and it feels like I can be a father again.
'I'm proud of actually doing it and I'm proud of what I've achieved.'
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