17-06-2025
Obese father is unrecognisable after simple weekly habit led to whopping 8 stone weight loss in a year
A father who shed a whopping third of his body weight in a little under a year has revealed the simple exercise habit that fuelled his transformation.
Chris Martin, 39, from Suffolk, said he 'felt like a monster' for many years, weighing in at 24 stone at his heaviest—which he put down to takeaway dinners, a biscuit habit and a lack of physical activity.
But last summer, when the dad-of-three struggled to take part in the parents' race at his childrens' sports day, he decided a drastic change was needed.
While scrolling through Facebook, the former carer discovered a weight loss-driven football group called Man V Fat.
The initative invovles regular weigh-ins and six-a-side matches, where the weight loss scores and the results of the game contribute to the team's position in a club's overall league table.
Winning teams and players are celebrated at the end of the season and those taking part also receive healthy meal recipe ideas.
The lifelong Ipswich Town supporter felt compelled to register for his local Cambridge team.
'I was so out of breath during my first game,' he said of the initial match.
'But over time it got easier and I was losing weight each week.'
The decision changed his life completely, helping him become mobile again, eat healthier meals and benefit from a confident boost.
Of the habits that led to his obesity, he said: 'I was having one meal a day and snacking throughout, but that one meal would be a takeaway.
'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.
'It wasn't nice going out, thinking that I was a monster and people were looking at me.
'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.
'I didn't like the way I looked and whenever I walked around, I noticed people looking at me.'
But as of June last year, Mr Martin's stature began to change, thanks to his weekly football matches.
The healthy eating advice has brought about different eating habits, which have further fuelled his weight loss.
He has ditched takeaways and now eats three healthy, balanced meals a day, but doesn't deny himself occasional treats.
'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, he weighs 16 and a half stone, and has become captain of his Man v Fat Football team—which he said has 'changed his life'.
'It's definitely improved my confidence,' he said.
'I can go into shops to look at clothes rather than feeling out of place, and I can walk around and not be noticed.'
This has helped him spend more quality time with his children.
'To do things with my children and be present with them 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.'
