Ken McLeod, 62, of East Yorkshire, weighed in at a whopping 23 stones after gaining weight as his diet worsened and his old Bedfordshire police job became less active.
His diet generally consisted of a full English breakfast, McDonald’s or KFC with fries for lunch, fish and chips with gravy or curry sauce for dinner, and a kebab, Indian or Chinese takeout in the evening.
He also gobbled up unhealthy snacks between meals, including sausage rolls, patties, steak slices, French fries, and peanuts, and had it all with whole Coke.
On their 39th wedding anniversary in 2018, McLeod suffered a heart attack while on his way to the hospital after developing a blood clot and collapsing on the street.
Even though his heart stopped for 10 minutes, he miraculously survived and joined Slimming World a year later.
Fast forward to today, and McLeod has been named the 2021 Slimming World Man of the Year after losing nine stones, going from a size 5XL to an L or XL.
His new diet consists of three bacon medallions cut into a whole wheat bun and two hard-boiled eggs for breakfast.
A quick lean ham or tuna salad with pickled onions for lunch, followed by the recipe for chili con carne, boiled brown rice and Slimming World salad for dinner.
His takeout for the evening has been replaced by a cup of tea with apples, bananas or oranges as snacks and Diet Coke.
McLeod said: “When I was a teenager and even into my 30s, I was actually always pretty fit.
“Then I became a police officer and was active throughout my service, but once I was promoted to CID, my job became more of a desk.
“The weight piled on without me realizing it because I think I handled it pretty well. Although he was quite large, he was still quite fit and could march with the boys.
“Obviously, you try to make excuses when you’re overweight, but once I ended up in the hospital that’s when I realized I had to do something.”
After leaving the hospital, McLeod attended a wedding with his wife Jeanette and realized how big he was.
McLeod said: “I went to a wedding with my wife in Aberdeen about a year after leaving the hospital and I felt really uncomfortable in my suit.
“It wasn’t right and I didn’t want to be in any of the photos for fear of ruining them.
“Afterward, we toured the rest of Scotland, but I didn’t even have the energy to walk 100 yards without getting out of breath and tired.”
After arriving home from his trip, Mr. McLeod was inspired by a friend to attend the Leven in East Riding weight loss group led by consultant Angie Ashton.
Mr. McLeod, who is 5ft 11 ”added,“ Even after losing a couple of stones, I started to see the benefits and now I am at the point where I can buy clothes again.
“Since I’ve been losing weight as much as I can, living in the country and near the sea means that I can enjoy exploring many new places.
“I can also sit on the floor and play with my grandson, whereas before I would have had to lean on a radiator or a piece of furniture.
“My whole life has changed in the last 18 months. Losing nine stones has given me a renewed sense of confidence, vigor, and zest for life.
“Now I am fully retired, fit and healthy and can do things I only dreamed of a year ago. I have been given another chance at life and I feel like the man I was when I was 30 years old.
“My ambition now is to live my life to the fullest, there is no going back.”
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Source: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-08-26 06:13:26
