Iain Sabiston has shed 10st – the equivalent weight of two grown Labradors – by walking his pet dog Jake once a day.
At his heaviest, he tipped the scales at 26st 13lb and worried wife Laura warned him if he did not take action he would not live to see their young children grow up.
It was the wake-up call Iain needed and, after shrinking 20in at the waist, he can now fit both legs into one leg of a once tight-fitting pair of jeans.
The 39-year-old from Elgin, who previously only fitted into a 5XL T-shirt – the largest available off the shelf – confessed he was not a big fan of exercise or working out at the gym.
Instead the father-of-three, who previously binged on fast food and junk food, put his remarkable transformation down to “eating good food and walking the dog”.
“I’ve not done it with blood, sweat or tears,” he said. “I cut the grass, ran up the stairs two at a time and walked the dog once a day. I’ve never been, nor will I ever be, someone who goes to the gym to do 100 squats.”
Iain joined a group of 40 women at his local Slimming World branch, losing five stone in just six months.
And with help from his loyal pet Labrador, he proved an inspiration to everyone there last week when he reached his goal of losing 10st in just over two years.
He said: “Walking into a room with 40 women and no men was a bit daunting. But Janice Angel, who runs the Slimming World group, made me feel really welcome.”
Iain has now swapped junk food and fizzy drinks for a healthier alternative that includes a variety of fruit and vegetables at every meal.
He said: “My eating was horrendous. I’d eat breakfast at home and then 15 minutes later I’d go to McDonald’s, two hours after that I’d stop off at a pie shop and be back at McDonald’s for lunch.
“My wife is a vegetarian and she always cooks healthy meals but when I was out and about in the van [for work], I’d eat what I wanted and have more rubbish in the evening.
“One day, I was driving over the Kessock Bridge and my wife told me over the phone that if I kept on going the way I was, I was not going to live to see the kids grow up.”
Walks with the dog are now more enjoyable, as Iain has a lighter load to carry with his healthier 16st frame.
His transformation – dropping from a 56in waist to 36in – has been so remarkable that even old pals fail to recognise him in passing.
He said: “I went into a shop and a school friend walked past not knowing it was me. I had to introduce myself.”
Iain, dad to Tyler, 12, Ava, 10, and Dexter, seven, stressed: “I haven’t had to diet, it’s more a lifestyle change.
“The great thing about it is nothing is forbidden, as long as you eat everything in moderation.”
He now aims to encourage others in their fight to lose weight by helping to run the scales at the slimming class and the group’s Facebook page.
Iain said: “It’s all been done by eating nice food, taking part in family activities and walking the dog.”
