Selasa, 24 April 2012

Facebook helped me get fit: Man weighing 31-stone, shed half his bodyweight after unflattering photo appeared online

Facebook helped me get fit: Man weighing 31-stone, shed half his bodyweight after unflattering photo appeared online

By Sadie Whitelocks

PUBLISHED: 10:17 EST, 24 April 2012 | UPDATED: 17:40 EST, 24 April 2012

A camera-shy man who tipped the scales at 31-stone, was shocked into shedding more than half his body weight after an unflattering photograph popped up on Facebook.

Matthew Briggs, 29, started piling on the pounds as a teenager, following the death of his mother and would regularly gorge on takeaways, sugary foods and demolish whole tubs of ice cream in one sitting.

But it was only when he saw an image on the social networking site showcasing his 56 inch waist, that he realised his destructive relationship with food had spiraled out of control.

Matthew Briggs Matthew Briggs

Transformation: Matthew Briggs was horrified when he saw the picture on Facebook (left) and over two years managed to shed 17-and-a-half stone through a combination of healthy eating and exercise (right)

In a bid to get his life into gear, the phone store manager from Strensall, York, joined a slimming club and started following a healthy eating plan, swapping junk food for home-cooked meals.

He also started excersising managing to lose a 17-and-a-half stone, and 24in off his waist.

Mr Briggs, who stands at 6ft 2in tall and now weighs 13st 10lb said: 'When I saw the photo on Facebook I was mortified.

'I tended to avoid having my picture taken so to see myself looking so big was a real shock. I couldn’t believe it was really me.

Matthew's starting weight was 31st and he now weighs 13st

MAtthew's friends now nickname him the ‘Duracell Bunny’ because of his endless energy, which has seen him climb the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, and cycle 50km for charity in less than two hours

'When my dad asked me the million dollar question: ‘Are you happy?’ I had to admit that I wasn’t. I pretty much woke up, went to work, came home and slept.'

It was his stepmother Jane and father Peter that suggested he should join a slimming group after a 1,000 calorie-a-day diet and slimming pills failed to work.

On January 20th, 2010, Matthew went to his local Slimming World group and made a vow to stop his lunchtime trips to the local bakery and dinners of two takeaway pizzas.

After losing 10st, he finally felt confident enough to pick up where he left off with exercise, starting with simple activities like parking his car a mile away from the phone shop he works in, before running, cycling and joining a gym.

His friends now nickname him the ‘Duracell Bunny’ because of his endless energy, which has seen him climb the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, and cycle 50km for charity in less than two hours.

Mr Briggs, who now describes his favourite dish as homemade chicken curry with rice, added: 'I love life now. I’m happier and healthier than ever before.

'It’s funny to bump into people who I haven’t seen for a while and see their faces when they realise who I am.

'Next month I’ll be celebrating my 30th birthday and I’m delighted I won’t be 30 and 30st. I’m having a big party and I can’t wait, best of all I won’t worry if any photos end up on Facebook!'

He has been crowned Slimming World’s Greatest Loser 2012 and runs his own Slimming World group, following formal training to become a consultant.

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

  • Newest
  • Oldest
  • Best rated
  • Worst rated

Well done you look fantastic.

Report abuse

The Duracell and Energizer brands are not co-owned. There's no Duracell bunny in the US now due to a 'battery bunny' trademark filed by Energizer after Duracell forgot to renew their US trademark on the bunny. Duracell first launched their bunny in 1973 and Energizer didn't launch theirs until 1989. The bunnies look different too. I'm guessing the American one is a bit fatter (...that's just a joke!)

Report abuse

Well done indeed, Although I'm a little disappointed not to see the obligatory photo of him standing wearing his old trousers and holding the waistband out in front of him, tut tut!

Report abuse

Wow!!! Thanks, Joan in Italy ...had no idea there is a Duracell bunny! We only have the energizer bunny in the U.S. Now I wonder if Duracell and energizer are co-owned....seems like it would be a trademark issue if they weren't.

Report abuse

- Becky, Dallas, USA, 25/4/2012 01:52 Take a look at Wikipedia and you'll find that the Duracell bunny does exist, and way before the Energizer bunny! Well done Matthew, keep it up!

Report abuse

Duracell also have a bunny not just energizer

Report abuse

It is not true you put it all back on when you stop the diet. It does mean when you stop the diet you do have to have a new way of eating for life with no junk and with your long term eating geared to what you know works for you. And you do need to keep up exercise. I lost 7kg fasting on veg juice and veg stock cube soup in January last year and it has stayed off but I eat very carefully to keep it off. And do not drink..

Report abuse

"But it was only when he saw an image on the social networking site showcasing his 56 inch waist, that he realised his destructive relationship with food had spiraled out of control." So no hope of curing his blindness/unbelievably stupidity then? Are we to believe that Britain's obesity problem is down to blindness and stupidity?

Report abuse

Well done. But why does he have a mole under his lip in 'before' pic, not in the 'after'? Would indicate the pic has either been airbrushed or he's had plastic surgery too. Neither of which would suggest this story is quite as honest as it appears.

Report abuse

Congrats to him; he looks great, but it's the ENERGIZER bunny...not Duracell. So much for advertising and marketing!

Report abuse

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Diposting oleh di

Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar

Langganan: Posting Komentar (Atom)