Dave’s a new man after losing 20st with Slimming World - and now he's walked 6,000 miles!

The call centre manager joined Slimming World after his weight left him suffering a long list of health complaints, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, crippling joint pain, high cholesterol, the beginnings of gout and sleep apnoea – a condition which can see a person stop breathing in their sleep.

Dave, 45, says: “I found it difficult to walk to the end of my road, I went out so rarely except for work that I was close to becoming a recluse, and I was nearing almost complete immobility. It felt as though as I was getting bigger and bigger, my world was gradually shrinking.”

He has now lost 20st 8½lbs, going from 34st 8½lbs and wearing a size 8XL and a 66in waist to 14st and wearing L clothes with a 36in waist. In recognition of his achievement, Dave has been named Slimming World’s Man of the Year 2018.

Dave, who lives alone in his hometown of Warwick, had been overweight all his life, apart from a brief period aged 16 to 18. He tried a range of weight-loss methods, including losing 10st on a meal replacement diet in 2007, but says it failed to educate him about food and he regained the weight he lost soon after.

It was in April 2016 when Dave decided to give Slimming World a try and joined the local group run by his former neighbour Angie Baker: “As I walked through the door, Angie instantly recognised me and it was nice that she hadn’t forgotten me despite having not seen each other for years. However, I got a huge shock when I stepped on the scales and discovered I was nearly 3st heavier than I’d expected – I couldn’t believe what I’d done to my body and, that evening, I’m not ashamed to say I cried.”

The following day though Dave filled his cupboards with healthy ingredients and began to embrace Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan with vigour, cooking a range of dishes including stir-fries, salads and pasta from scratch. He says: “I like the emphasis on eating food that you prepare yourself rather than ready meals and processed food. And I found that I could still eat hearty meals while losing weight.”

As Dave became more confident in the kitchen, he also began to share his creations with the rest of his Slimming World group via social media and posted about his weight-loss journey online too. He says: “The support I receive from the other members at my Slimming World group – both in person and online – is invaluable. Our Consultant Angie is like superglue too, she holds us all together and keeps us smiling and motivated. I always feel better after going to the group.”

Inspired by the other slimmers, Dave also began to be more active. He started walking around his local park, going from one bench to the next until he could walk longer distances without needing regular breaks. Now he leaves the car at home and chooses to walk instead, covering around 10 miles a day. Since joining Slimming World Dave’s walked around 6,000 miles – more than the distance between San Francisco and New York and back again. He says: “I like this form of exercise because instead of costing me, like a gym membership or exercise class would, it saves me money on petrol. Now instead of meeting friends at my house, they join me for a walk!”

In fact, when Dave hit his initial target weight of 14st 7lbs in February 2018, he marked the achievement with a celebration walk with all of the friends who’ve walked with him as he clocked up the miles. He’s also scaled Snowdon.

Thanks to the changes he’s made Dave’s health has also improved dramatically and he no longer needs to take any medication. His blood sugar reading has dropped from 94 to 25, meaning he displays no type 2 diabetes symptoms. He also no longer wears glasses – an unexpected side effect of his reduced blood sugar levels.

However, Dave says it’s the non-scale victories that have made the biggest difference to his life: “I can fit in the seat of any car I like and on buses, trains and planes; I don’t have to worry about breaking benches or garden furniture anymore; I can buy clothes on the high street and put my own socks on easily; I can walk miles and run up and down the stairs…the list is endless. I’ve got my life back and I couldn’t be happier. The world isn’t shrinking anymore; it’s getting bigger and bigger by the day!” – ends –

VITAL STATS:

Name: Dave Lancaster

Age: 45

Height: 5’10”/1.78m

Starting weight: 34st 8½lbs/484½lbs/220kg

Current weight: 14st/196lbs/89kg

Weight loss: 20st 8½lbs/288½lbs/131kg

Starting clothes size: 8XL/66in waist

Current clothes size: L/36in waist

Date joined Slimming World: April 2016

Group: Dave attends the Warwick group run by Consultant Angie Baker

Before

Breakfast: Two double sausage and egg muffins

Lunch: Six ham, tomato and cucumber sandwiches followed by two packets of crisps.

Dinner: Takeaway or Shepherd’s Pie ready meal with oven chips

Evening: Two-three bottles of wine, sharing bag of tortilla chips, Cornish pasty

After

Breakfast: 4 Weetabix with almond milk, berries and a banana

Lunch: Leftovers from the previous evening’s meal, couscous with mackerel, gherkins, mushrooms and onions or a baked potato with cottage cheese or tuna and salad

Dinner: Homemade chilli con carne, made with lean mince beef, with boiled rice

Evening: Berries with fat-free natural yogurt, apples, pickles, olives, half an avocado.