A regular evening for bread-lover Terry Burt would usually consist of watching telly while snacking on crisps, chocolate and sweets.
But when his weight ballooned to 23 stone, Terry knew something had to change. The 67-year-old, from Denton, decided to embark on a weight loss journey with his wife Angela.
The pair signed up to Beeweighed, a weight loss support group based in Tameside. The couple took on a calorie-counting regime and the weight began to drop off – with Terry quickly losing almost five stone.
“I could still have snacks, but instead of a pack of Walkers, I’d have some that were 70kcals instead,” Terry told the Manchester Evening News.
“With chocolate, I would have an Alpro bar instead of a Mars bar. My head is still having these treats, but not the calorie count I would have had if it was normal.”
Since signing up to the programme in February, Terry has managed to lose an incredible four and a half stone – way ahead of his New Year target. Now weighing 16 stone, he aims to lose an extra stone by March next year by sticking to 1,600kcals a day.
“It really works,” he added. “If you put weight on, no one is having a go at you. They support you and the next week you draw a line under it and start again.
“The weight has been coming off. Usually with weight loss programmes you give up after four months and within two weeks you put the weight back on. [My weight loss] is months ahead of schedule.”
Terry, who works for a chemist delivering prescriptions, says he manages to swim twice a week which has helped him along his weight loss journey. He also sticks to eating healthy meals including pasta, chicken, fish, jacket potatoes and lots of vegetables.
“I used to have a lot of bread,” he added. “I still have bread but they are 50kcal a slice. My biggest drama was watching telly with crisps, chocolate and sweets. At Beeweighed , you can do whatever suits you. You’re not denied access to anything.
“I’ve got a lot more energy and I’m comfortable. It’s cost me a fortune in clothes, though – I've had to get rid of a lot of stuff and get new shirts, etc. I’m fitting into clothes I’ve not worn for four or five years.
“My enthusiasm so far has not dropped an ounce. I’ve not thought, ‘Sod this, I’m not doing this’. It works and I’m happy.
“It’s a good group and Lynda does a good job. I’m glad I met her; she sorted my life out. I’ve not been happy with my body for around 15 years.”
Beeweighed owner Lynda Leadbetter, who holds meetings in Denton, Haughton Green, Longsight, Stalybridge and Cheshire, added: “Terry has been an absolutely pleasure to help, he smashes his goals every week, he’s a valued member of the Denton group and I’m extremely proud of him.
“True story - he’s lost that much, when he was getting his brew, his trousers actually fell to the floor!”
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