A DEDICATED man lost over 10 and a half stone after being “horrified” when seeing a picture of himself.
Chris Hemmings, from Evesham, always struggled and was even offered £100 for every stone he lost by his father as a teen.
The 33-year-old said the turning point came after he was “horrified” by a photograph of himself soon after the COVID pandemic.
TURNING POINT: Chris Hemmings made the decision to make the change after being “horrified” at a photograph of himself (Image: Slimming World)
Mr Hemmings said: “From the age of 14, people encouraged me to lose weight.
“My dad even offered me £100 for every stone I lost when I was 18, but I still wasn’t interested.”
Having seen his father lose four stone with Slimming World, Mr Hemmings was prompted to take on the challenge himself after seeing a picture of himself during a visit to his mother in Yorkshire.
“I was horrified,” he said. “I knew I had to do something.”
He joined his local Slimming World group in Evesham, expecting to quit after two weeks.
But instead, he was encouraged by the community and surprised by the eating plan.
He has now been crowned Slimming World’s Man of the Year.
Mr Hemmings said: “What surprised me most was the amount of food you could eat and the variety of food that was allowed.”
AWARD: Chris Hemmings was named Slimming World’s Man of the Year after dropping over 10 stone (Image: Slimming World)
As the weeks passed, the weight began to come off, but the changes went much deeper than just the number on the scales.
He said: “My whole life has improved.
“I sleep better, have more energy, and finally feel comfortable in my own clothes.”
He credited much of his success to the support he found at his Slimming World group.
He said: “The people are there for the same reason you are — to lose weight and change their lives.
“Being surrounded by like-minded people on the same journey made all the difference.”
CHANGE: Chris Hemmings was named Slimming World’s Man of the Year after shedding over 10 stone (Image: Slimming World)
He added he hopes his story will inspire others, especially men, to seek support and take that first step.
He said: “It can be difficult for men to talk about their weight.
“But going to group with people who understand what you’re going through helped me become a success.”
When asked what advice he would give to others considering joining, he kept it simple.
He said: “Come along and take that first step.
“Don’t worry about the weight you are when you start.
“Just focus on losing it slowly, week by week, with the support of like-minded people.”
Mr Hemmings attends the Evesham Tuesday morning group at the Bengeworth Club.