Mark’s hitting the high notes after 9st weight loss

Mark Marsden, 31, felt his weight affected most aspects of his life and was the root cause of a back injury which left him unable to work for seven months.  

He says: “I’d been a big lad ever since I was about nine years old, so it was normal for me – although I was always aware that my weight held me back. As I got older, I was slow, sluggish and had pain in my feet, legs and back all the time. I struggled to get up on time in the morning because everything was so much effort, so I was always late and even that was down to my weight.  

“I’ve always loved singing, so alongside my day job as a car body repairer and painter, I sang at parties, weddings and other events. I had zero confidence though and would constantly be fidgeting and adjusting my clothes because I felt so uncomfortable on stage. I felt like people only saw my weight rather than hearing my voice.” 

A day at the funfair with his children Riley, 11, and five-year-old Amelia in 2021 proved the turning point for Mark. He says: “I’d been off work for a while with a bad back injury – I was bed-ridden and relied on my family to look after me. I was just starting to get some mobility back when the kids asked me to take them on a ride at the fair. But the safety bar wouldn’t close, and three staff had to try to push the bar down with a crowd of people watching. In the end we all got off the ride – I felt as though the kids were embarrassed by me. I vowed to never feel like that again.” 

Just two days later, Mark walked through the doors of his local Slimming World group. He says: “I’d heard a bit about Slimming World and knew that it was about eating proper food, so it sounded like a good fit. I thought the group would be full of women and older people, so I was quite surprised to find that I wasn’t the only man there and at how welcome I was made to feel.”  

Mark, who lives with his partner Stacey Bradley, 35, enjoyed Slimming World’s healthy eating plan straightaway. He says: “From that first day in group, everyone including my Consultant Caroline was so supportive. She helped me to realise where my excess calories were coming from, and I noticed that I was making unhealthy decisions when I was hungry and in a rush. I started planning my meals and the other members in group gave me ideas for packed lunches for work, so I wasn’t grabbing something on the go. In my first week, I lost 16lbs. 

“Stacey was supportive too and she was happy for us to adapt our evening meals so that they fit within the plan – Slimming World burgers with sweet potato fries is one of our favourites. It’s real food so I never feel like I’m on a diet.” 

In time, Mark became more active with the help of Slimming World’s physical activity support programme, which helps members to increase their activity levels at their own pace and in a way that fits in with their life. He says: “As the weight started to come off, I found that I had loads more energy. Instead of sleeping through my alarm in the mornings, I was waking up feeling rested and ready for the day.  

“Weight training appealed to me because I knew it would help me to strengthen my back and avoid becoming injured again. I never would have set foot in a gym when I was heavier though so it’s completely different from before. The kids love it when we do active things as a family now too, like running around at soft play together and visiting theme parks, as it’s something we didn’t do when I was bigger.” 

Now that he’s 9st lighter, Mark also has a new career. Alongside singing and DJing, he runs a café with Stacey. He says: “We have a healthier menu at the café for anyone who wants to opt for a lighter option and it’s proving popular. There’s no way I would have thought to do that before losing weight myself. 

“I also have a lot more confidence for my singing gigs. I take opportunities I’d have turned down before and enjoy performing so much more because I know nobody it is talking about my weight – just how I sound. Music is something I’m passionate about so I now feel ready to chase my dreams and sing as much as I can. The only problem is it feels so good to walk into a shop and know something will fit me that I end up buying a new suit before every show!”  

VITAL STATS:  

Name: Mark Marsden  

Age: 31 

Height: 5ft 11ins/180cm 

Starting weight: 23st 9½lbs/331½lbs/150kg   

Current weight: 14st 7½lbs/203½lbs/92kg  

Weight loss: 9st 2lbs/128lbs/58kg  

Waist size before: 48ins/121cm 

Waist size now: 32ins/81cm  

Date joined Slimming World: November 2021 

Group: Mark attends Caroline Hawson’s Brinsworth Slimming World group in Rotherham, South Yorkshire 

Before menu 

Breakfast: Large bacon, egg, sausage, hash brown, mushroom, cheese and black pudding sandwich 

Lunch: Shop-bought sandwich with a bag of crisps, two chocolate bars and a flapjack 

Dinner: A 14” ham and pineapple takeaway pizza with curly fries and cheesecake 

Snacks: Two litres of full-sugar cola, a few beers 

After menu 

Breakfast: Two Weetabix with semi-skimmed milk, strawberries, banana, black coffee 

Snack: Box of grapes or melon 

Lunch: Homemade tuna or chicken pasta bake topped with cheese, followed by a Slimming World Hi-fi bar  

Dinner: A homemade beef burger (made with 5% fat mince) served in a wholemeal roll with Slimming World sweet potato fries and a large salad 

Snacks: Vodka and diet coke, rice cakes, low-fat cheese, sugar-free jelly 

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