Jason keeps on trucking
| Date | 04 January 2021 |
| Published date | 04 January 2021 |
I started to gain weight in my thirties. It was just a few stone here and there so I always thought I could lose it. I never did though, and then when my father died suddenly, I turned to food for comfort and just became bigger and bigger. When I joined Slimming World I weighed 24st 11½lbs. Living your life at that kind of size can be quite lonely because everything feels like a struggle. Even everyday tasks really take it out of you and you just don't have the energy for much else.
Although a lot of my job revolved around driving and being sedentary, I did have to be there for loading and unloading too. I wasn't very agile, so often someone with a forklift would help me up to the back of the trailers because I couldn't get up there myself. It was really embarrassing and once that happened, I just wanted the day to be over.
I'd been suffering from terrible migraines, so I went to visit my doctor. He suggested that they were being caused by my dangerously high blood pressure and that my weight was likely a factor - which really worried me.
Around that time, I also travelled abroad. My seat was right at the front of the plane and when I sat down I realised I couldn't fasten the seatbelt. The flight attendant loudly announced that she would get me an extender, and then I had to stand up in front of the whole plane
while it was fitted. I vowed to myself that I would do something about my weight as soon as I returned home. Enough was enough.
Risca, target member at Slimming World run by Clare
24st 11½lbs 12st 4lbs 12st 7½lbs
I researched everything from surgery to diet pills but something about Slimming World really appealed to me. I was nervous about attending that first session - although it seems strange to say that now because it's such a big part of my life. I was greeted by my Consultant, Clare, who is the biggest bundle of fun you could ever hope to meet, and I knew from that moment I had made the right decision.
As a lorry driver I'm on the road a lot. Eating out has never been a problem though, I learned all about the best choices to make and soon had the confidence to ask for things to be cooked in a certain way - like grilling meats without oil. It must have worked because the results soon spoke for themselves! The group environment really helped me too, because for the first time I was surrounded by people who knew how it felt to struggle with their weight. Checking in with everyone each week has been invaluable and I have learned so much from everyone.
I used to love the outdoors. As I gained more and more weight though, it felt like the world became smaller and smaller. Losing weight and learning about Slimming World's activity programme really encouraged me to get out there again. I started off walking small distances, gradually working up to the point
where I'd think nothing of spending the day walking around the Brecon Beacons, and I'm even hoping to take part in a 12-day trek through the Himalayas to visit Everest Base Camp. It's amazing to think that the world is a big place again now, full of opportunities.
I'm much more comfortable at work now and can often be found hopping from trailer to trailer without the need for assistance. A lot
of people have said I'm more approachable now too, which I think is down to my new outlook. It's not an exaggeration to say that Slimming World has completely changed my life - it's certainly one of the best decisions I have ever made.
''Jason, 47, is from Risca, Wales, and a target member at the Cwmbran Slimming World group which is run by Clare Lewis.
Height: 6ft Starting weight: 24st 11½lbs Weight now: 12st 4lbs WEIGHT LOST: 12st 7½lbs
Big breakfast bowl Serves 4, ready in 30 minutes
8 frozen Quorn sausages
Low-calorie cooking spray
8 large portobello mushrooms
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
4 eggs
2 x 400g cans baked beans
A dash of balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
A dash of Tabasco sauce
Chopped fresh chives, to serve, plus whole chives to garnish
1 Preheat the grill to high.
Cook the sausages in the oven or on the hob according to the pack instructions. 2 Meanwhile, spray the grill pan with low-calorie cooking spray, add the mushrooms and cherry tomatoes and spray again with low-calorie cooking spray. Season to taste and grill for 5-6 minutes or until just tender. 3 Spray a non-stick frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray, place over a medium heat and fry the eggs until done to your liking.
4 Tip the beans into a pan and stir in the balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and some salt and black pepper to taste. Cook over a low heat for a few minutes, stirring now and then.
5 Divide the beans between 4 shallow bowls and add the mushrooms and cherry tomatoes as attractively as you can. Slice the sausages into 2 or 3 pieces diagonally and add those too. Top each bowl with a fried egg and season to taste, then scatter over the chopped chives and garnish with whole chives to serve.
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