Aaron’s feeling sleek after 16st weight loss
- Aaron Snares was inspired to lose weight after he turned down the chance to be best man at his sister’s wedding because he didn’t want to be in the limelight
- His late grandmother encouraged him to join Slimming World and be more comfortable in his own skin
- The 27-year-old has since lost more than 16st and has today been named Slimming World’s Mr Sleek 2020
A work-place coordinator from London has turned his life around after losing an incredible 16st 4lbs and being named Slimming World’s Mr Sleek 2020. Aaron Snares, 27, from Hampton, had been overweight since childhood and was subsequently bullied throughout his school years because of his size.
He says: “At school I was heckled most days for being bigger than the other kids. A lot of the time I really didn’t want to go to school because of the bullying, so I’d make up an excuse to my mum and pretend to be sick so that I didn’t have to go. I moved around a lot of primary schools because I just didn’t fit in.”
His weight continued to rise once Aaron started earning his own money and going on nights out. He says: “Once I left school I had quite a decent job, so I had money to spend on fast food and takeaways. Of course, this coincided with being old enough to go out drinking – so my weight just went up and up.
“I remember being on a lads’ holiday and feeling really uncomfortable on the flight over and while I was there. In fact, I ended up breaking three sun loungers in one day because of my size – they just couldn’t bear my weight.”
It was a family wedding which really spurred Aaron into action. He says: “My sister got engaged and asked me if I’d like to be best man. As soon as she asked me, I just had this sinking feeling because I knew I couldn’t do it. It wasn’t just feeling nervous about giving a speech or being centre of attention either. I knew it would mean wearing the same suit as everyone else, and that I’d never fit into standard sizes.
I knew that I needed to find a plan which still allowed me to eat, after all – I love food! Slimming World just felt perfect in that sense because I could still enjoy all of my favourites and discover tasty new meals
“In the end I decided I couldn’t be the best man, but I agreed to wear the same suit as the rest of the bridal party. My worst fears were realised at the fitting – the suit had to be custom made and took ages to get here. I spent the whole day pulling my shirt down and generally feeling uncomfortable.”
It was Aaron’s best friend – his nan – who plucked up the courage to speak to Aaron about his weight and encourage him to do something about it. He says: “My nan was like my best friend. At the wedding she saw how unhappy I was and spoke to me about my weight. She said she just wanted me to be healthy and happy. She had terminal cancer at the time so for her to be the one worrying about me really hit home. A few months later I joined Slimming World and I haven’t looked back since.”
Although he was nervous about walking through the doors of his Slimming World group for the first time, Aaron was struck by all the warmth and support he received from his fellow members.
He said: “I’d contacted my Slimming World Consultant Georgina in advance to let her know I was coming, but once I got to the car park I just froze and felt like I couldn’t go in. I texted Georgina from the car to say I couldn’t do it – but after a little encouragement I did manage to step through those doors. Georgina was just so friendly and knowing she knew how it felt to be overweight was really comforting. I was really worried about being the only man in group – and even though I was – it didn’t matter at all. My group is like a second family to me now.”
Aaron soon got to grips with Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan, which encourages slimmers to learn to cook and enjoy meals using everyday food like potatoes, rice, pasta, lean meat, fruit and vegetables so you never feel hungry or deprived.
Sharing and learning about delicious new recipes is an important part of Slimming World group and staying motivated. He said: “I knew that I needed to find a plan which still allowed me to eat, after all – I love food! Slimming World just felt perfect in that sense because I could still enjoy all of my favourites and discover tasty new meals, I just had to prepare them in a different way – like swapping oil for low-calorie cooking spray.”
And since losing weight Aaron has also discovered a new passion for exercising. He says: “Slimming World’s Body Magic programme allowed me to exercise in a way that didn’t feel intimidating at all – I started off small and just built myself up. Before I gained a lot of my weight I was a keen footballer – but as my weight grew I just couldn’t keep up anymore. These days I’m back on the pitch and it feels great! I’ve even found the confidence to go swimming which is a huge deal for me as I never liked to be seen without a shirt on. I’m just keen to give anything a go now – I even had a skiing lesson last week and that’s something I never would have considered before.”
And there’s another ambition Aaron has realised since losing weight, meeting his new girlfriend, Lucy. He says: “When I was bigger, I just didn’t have any confidence so approaching anyone that I liked was a big no-no. Since losing weight though I’ve met Lucy and we hope to settle down and get a house together and even start a family one day. It’s the kind of happily ever after I never thought I’d have when I was at my biggest.
“My only regret is that I didn’t join Slimming World sooner. Unfortunately, my nan passed away a few weeks after I joined. I did manage to take my one stone certificate into the hospice to show her though, and you could see how proud she was. I hope she knows I’ve achieved all of this because of her.”
VITAL STATS:
Name: Aaron Snares
Age: 27
Height: 5’11”/1.8m
Starting weight: 30st 2½lbs/422½lbs/191kg
Current weight: 13st 12½lbs/194½lbs/88kg
Weight loss: 16st 4lbs/228lbs/103kg
Starting waist measurement: 56ins
Current waist measurement: 32in
Date joined Slimming World: 31st January 2017
Group: Aaron attends the Hanworth Slimming World group run by Consultant Georgina Wallace.
Before menu
Breakfast: A greasy fry up with bacon, sausages, fried eggs and 3-4 slices of toast
Snack: Chocolate bar or bag of crisps
Lunch: A fast-food burger or Thai takeaway
Dinner: Quick microwave meal or another takeaway
Snack: Biscuits, cookies, crisps
After menu
Breakfast: A ‘grill up’ made with low-fat sausages, lean bacon, beans, tomatoes and eggs fried in a pan sprayed with low-calorie cooking spray
Mid-morning: Fruit
Lunch: A large chicken salad followed by a hi-fibre cereal bar
Dinner: Homemade sticky chicken served with vegetables or homemade chicken supreme with salad or veg
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For further information please contact Lucy Fisher in the Slimming World press office on 01773 306852 or email lucy.fisher@slimmingworld.co.uk
In addition, you can view a video of Aaron talking about his weight loss here.
Notes to editors
- This story is NOT for syndication to any magazines without the consent of Aaron Snares and the Slimming World press office (details above).
- Slimming World and Aaron Snares retain copyright of all images attached to this press release.
- Slimming World’s Mr Sleek was open to all men who attend Slimming World groups across the UK and Ireland. Group finalists were voted for by members of all Slimming World groups and Aaron was named the overall winner.
- The Mr Sleek competition celebrates fabulous members who have slimmed down handsomely and achieved their weight-loss dreams. The female equivalent to Mr Sleek is Miss Slinky, the winner of which was Amy Hodgson from Liverpool who lost 5st 3lbs.
About Slimming World
Slimming World was founded by Margaret Miles-Bramwell (OBE, FRSA) in 1969. There are now more than 19,000 weekly groups supporting 900,000 members across the UK and Republic of Ireland. Groups are run by a network of 5,000 community-based Slimming World Consultants, who receive specific training in the role of diet and physical activity in weight management, as well as sophisticated behaviour-change techniques. Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, Food Optimising, is based on the science of satiety and energy density. Our phased activity programme, Body Magic, eases members into activity until it becomes an intrinsic part of their daily routine. The principles behind Slimming World’s philosophy are based on a deep understanding of the challenges faced by people who are overweight and recognition that those who struggle with weight carry a double burden, the weight itself and a burden of guilt and shame about their weight. Slimming World’s programme integrates practical, up-to-date advice with a highly developed support system based on care and compassion, and Consultant training focuses on facilitating, encouraging and empowering members to make changes in a supportive, warm and friendly group environment. Consultant training is delivered through the Slimming World Academy. Slimming World also invests in a comprehensive research programme to develop its support for long-term weight management. The group support provided by Slimming World is recognised as effective by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the NHS.
For more information about Slimming World’s approach visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk or call 0344 897 8000. Follow Slimming World on Twitter at www.twitter.com/slimmingworld or become a Slimming World fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/slimmingworld
For the Press Office please email public.relations@slimmingworld.co.uk