Dave drops the pounds with Tesco Gi
Meet the Incredible Shrinking Man! Or at least that’s what Dave’s friends have started to call him as a result of his super weight loss success! In only 5 months, Dave has shed an amazing 3 st 5 lbs, and has reduced his BMI from a very overweight 30, to a trim 22, well within the healthy weight for height category.
So how did he do it? Well, Dave registered for our Tesco Gi diet and has since gone from a weight of 12 st 11 lbs to 9 st 6 lbs. Having never really been on a diet before, Dave used to lose any extra weight by eating less or skipping meals. But eventually this wasn’t working for him anymore, so he decided to seek help and support for his weight loss mission.
“I had a look around for a diet plan that I could follow. I wasn’t too keen on any plans that involved a ‘public’ weigh in and then I came across this site via Tesco, and it looked to be just what I needed. When I browsed the site and checked my BMI, I was quite dismayed to see just how unhealthy I was! This gave me the incentive to do something about it, so I registered straight away.”
Dave’s real turning point came one day when he was playing football with his 5 year old son, Jack. “I was shocked to find that I was completely out of breath after only kicking the ball twice. Although never a superman, I was fairly fit so I wasn’t too happy about that. I wanted to be able to play with Jack as he got older, so I decided to get serious about losing weight. My dad also died of a heart attack a few years earlier so I knew I should start taking more care of myself if I wanted to be around to see my boys grow up!”
Without realising it at the time, Dave’s weight had been causing him other problems. “I was reluctant to take Jack to the swimming pool as I was conscious of how I looked. I had stopped buying clothes unless I really had to because it was painful squeezing into the old ones. My activity levels had dropped - I used the car for everything! My confidence in myself was quite low and I had a poor self image. I don’t really know how I let myself get that way.”
So how did Dave’s diet change as a result of his new healthy eating regime? “Before I started the Tesco Gi diet, I lived on ready meals and junk food. My evenings were spent eating crisps, chocolate and biscuits. I never had a proper breakfast and I ate pies, pasties or chips for lunch. Dinner was a ready meal or take out.”
Phew- that’s certainly a far cry from the Tesco Gi Diet, Dave! “Yes it is! I now have a healthy breakfast, make my own lunch to take to work and I prepare my own evening meal. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed cooking. I still occasionally treat myself to a take-away and Jack manages to drag me into McDonald’s when we’re out sometimes. On my weaker days, I might have a McChicken Sandwich. But I know now what I should be eating so even if I have to work away I know what I should be eating and what is a definite no!”
“I also drink less alcohol than I used to and so can enjoy a glass of wine more when I do have one. This wasn’t planned as such, it just happened! As a result of following the plan, I’m much more conscious of what I eat and how it affects my body.”
Dave was delighted with the way the plan was provided for him. “The structured meal plans and shopping list made it all possible. I would never have got anywhere if I had to sit down and plan a meal, count calories and work out what I needed to buy. Now I just swap a few meals around, print the shopping list, and that’s another week sorted! Once I got confidence in how the plans worked, I enjoyed modifying them to suit my very spicy tooth!”
The support groups on the site were an invaluable aspect of Dave’s success. “The support groups are excellent. There are so many people there in a similar situation to you who can give support and encouragement when you need it. There is always someone with a bigger task than you who is just getting on with it and motivating you. It also helps when you can give some help back because it gives you a sense of achievement and something to take into the next day’s battle!”
Despite the “Incredible Shrinking Man” nickname, Dave’s family and friends have all been very positive and supportive of his weight loss. “Everybody thinks I look great. When I started this diet, I can remember how pleased I was when the first person asked me if I was losing weight. I’m always being asked how I did it, and I’m virtually a diet consultant at times! Jack is great too. He doesn’t really understand what I’m doing but knows that I’m not eating what I used to. He finds it a bit difficult when it comes to sharing. He keeps saying “Dad, I know you can’t eat sweets but would you like one of these?”
As well as the diet plan, Dave has been exercising and toning up. “I bought an exercise bike when I started and put it in the front room so that I could watch TV whilst I exercised. I now put in 20 minutes of hard cycling on it every morning after breakfast. I have also bought a weight bench which I have used for toning exercises, but I plan to start building some muscle now that I have reached my target weight. My body fat has gone from 33% to around 24%, and I have lost 4.5 “ off my chest, 7.5 “ off my waist and 6.5” off my hips.”
Dave is full of energy now and is delighted with his new look. “I can’t believe how much energy I have! I skip and bounce around the house all the time. I’m taking Jack on a weekend break soon to meet some friends I haven’t seen in a year. I can’t wait to see their reaction when they see the new me.”
“I feel that I’m better placed to enjoy seeing my boys growing up and that I am now more likely to live long enough to see Jack grow up to be a man and be able to both enjoy it myself, and hopefully give him some happy memories of his dad.”
Dave is determined and confident about maintaining his weight loss. “I have learned a lot about nutrition from the site and from other research triggered by comments on the support boards. I feel that my eating habits have changed and I will be able to maintain my weight loss. My life really has changed for the better over the last five months, and I am really happy at the moment.”
