A former yo-yo dieter lifted the lid on his weight loss after shedding 5st during his incredible transformation.
At his heaviest, Joe Thompson, from Essex, struggled to ride rollercoasters due to his big frame.
Now after embarking on his weight loss, the 35-year-old has been named Slimming World’s Mr Sleek 2023.
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He said: “I’d struggled with my weight for most of my life.
“I was adopted at birth, so I found it hard looking different to the rest of my family – I told myself I had the ‘fat gene’.
“Leaving home for uni meant I was away from my mum’s healthy cooking, relying heavily on takeaways and drinking.”
(Image: Slimming World / SWNS)
During this period, Joe also found it hard figuring out his sexuality, something he “struggled to come to terms with”.
But what really hit him was an incident at Thorpe Park where he couldn’t even fasten the safety harness on a ride.
He added: “I had to get off and walk past a queue of people, who I’m sure all knew exactly why I couldn’t ride.
“I tried to brush it off, but inside I was completely mortified.”
Joe, who suffers from chronic podagra, experiences a flare-up every four to six weeks which causes a lot of pain.
The condition, which impacts the joint between the foot and big toe, means Joe struggles to walk for a couple of days.
(Image: Slimming World / SWNS)
Joe, who lives with husband Gareth, was worried about his weight so he started yo-yo dieting.
But he was left miserable for two years when he cut out all the carbs and everything felt restrictive.
His turning point came when he saw snaps of himself after attending a number of back-to-back weddings.
Then he heard a lot about Slimming World so he thought he’d give it a go.
In his first week, where he followed the Food Optimising eating plan, he dropped just under a stone (11lbs).
With the plan, slimmers can reduce calories without counting, lose weight without feeling hungry and enjoy foods.
(Image: Slimming World/Paul Buller / SWN)
Weighing almost 20st, Joe felt nervous about joining his local group until he realised he had nothing to fear.
He said: “I texted my Slimming World Consultant Lorna in advance and she was so lovely, so that made me feel better.
“I wasn’t alone anymore and it was such a wonderful feeling. I love the plan allows me to eat to satisfy my appetite.
“Before, I’d panic about ‘running out’ of calories and ending up hungry.
“With Slimming World that never happens because there’s always something substantial to eat when you are hungry.
“It was totally revolutionary for me.”
Now Joe’s mission is to inspire other people to follow in his footsteps.
You can find Joe’s journey on Instagram at @joeyjoejoe__sw.
(Image: Slimming World/Paul Buller / SWN)
VITAL STATS:
Starting weight: 19st 9.5lbs/275.5lbs/125kg
Current weight: 14st 6lbs/202lbs/92kg
Weight loss: 5st 3.5lbs/73.5lbs/33kg
Waist measurement before: 40ins/101cm
Size now: 32ins/81cm
Joined Slimming World: November 2021
Group: Joe attends the Woodford Green Slimming World group in Essex run by Consultant Lorna Sheridan
Before menu
Breakfast: Bacon and sausage sandwich with butter and ketchup
Mid-morning: Tube of crisps
Lunch: Pack of instant noodles topped with extra cheese
Dinner: A takeaway such as Chinese, Indian or pizza
Snacks: Chocolate, sweets, crisps, white toast with butter
After menu
Breakfast: Poached eggs on wholemeal toast
Lunch: Homemade vegetable and chilli soup
Dinner: Home cooked meal such as spaghetti bolognese, burgers or a Chinese fakeaway
Snacks: Low-fat yogurt with sugar-free syrup
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