I was told I’d lose a limb by 50 if I didn’t lose weight

Derek Gray, 48 from Glasgow, lost over seven stone in six months. He is married and works as a fitter for a lorry-making company. Here’s his story…

In spring 2019, when I was 44, I went to the doctor’s for my annual diabetic review and was told that if I didn't get my blood sugar and my weight down by the time I hit 50, I could lose a limb.

Over the years, eating nothing but junk food had meant I’d developed type two diabetes and my weight had ballooned to just over twenty-one stone.

I was never an overweight child. In fact, I was always tall and skinny right until I passed my driving test when I stopped walking everywhere and the weight piled on.

I have always had quite a physical job, but my eating became out of control. It was junk food constantly: the burger van for lunch and fish and chips or a Chinese takeaway for dinner. After a long day, it was easier to grab something on the way home than make home-cooked dinners.

I also drank gallons of full fat Coca Cola. I could polish off about 50 cans a week. I loved sweets, crisps and toast that was dripping in butter. Basically, I was happiest when I was eating, and I was always eating!

My wife and I were as bad as each other, the only difference being she remained a size six and never gained a pound. She’s always loved me whatever size I am, but life for me was getting more difficult.

Firstly, it was hard to keep up with any physical exertion. Yes, my job was quite physical, but it was such an effort to keep going all day, that as soon as I got home, I’d crash out with exhaustion.

Trying to buy clothes was a killer. It was a case of having to get what fitted, rather than what I liked. I often went to somewhere that had a ‘Big and Tall’ section but still, when you are a size 4 or 5XL with a 44inch waist, choice is limited. At that size, even tying your shoelaces is hard.

One of the worst things about being big was going on holiday. Trying to squeeze into the aeroplane seats was murder, so I always had to book extra legroom and the bigger seats.

Then, in the hot climate, because you are big you are always warm and uncomfortable - sweat would be running off me just walking around.

Starting my weight loss journey

In my early thirties, when I was at my heaviest of twenty-five stone, I did lose about five stone. But boredom set in and it had crept back up. I’d got used to being a ‘big lad’ but now, the doctor’s words gave me enough of a scare to have another go at doing something about it.

I was offered a referral to Weight Watchers through the NHS, but I wasn’t interested at first. I thought Weight Watchers was for women only. So, I had a go at losing weight on my own and I managed to lose a stone but it was hard.

After some encouragement from my wife and my sister-in-law who was re-joining Weight Watchers and said she’d come with me, I started on the Weight Watchers programme in May 2019.

I thought I’d be the only guy but there were a few of us. You had to stand on the scales and ‘weigh in’ each week, then you’d chat about how your previous week had been and what habits you could change for more weight loss. I liked the fact you’re doing it with other people. You talk about your struggle and share tips.

I was 21 stone, 6 pounds when I started and they gave me a target weight of 14 stone 4 pounds which was already at the top of my BMI (healthy weight for my height). I thought there’s no chance on earth I’ll reach that - It seemed impossible.

But I stuck to it religiously and reached 14 stone 3 pounds within six months - so all in all I lost seven and a half stone.

I liked the fact it’s not a calorie-based thing, but a points system. Depending on your target weight and how much you’d like to lose, you are set a daily points allowance so then it’s up to you to watch your intake. Mine was 32 to 36 points daily and changed as the weight came off. The more weight you lose, the less points you have.

It’s done through an app on your phone. You scan a barcode of whatever food you want and it will tell you what the servings are worth in points. You quickly learn how many points certain foods are worth. For example, a slice of bread is three.

Starchy food like rice and potatoes are more, but there’s a lot of free point food like chicken, turkey, salad and fruit (unless you’re diabetic) that you can eat as much as you like of.

Changing my diet

It was a shock at first going from eating Dominos pizzas and chips to things like jacket potatoes, salads and stir fries but If I was hungry, I’d eat an apple or my go-to was two picked eggs!

My wife was really supportive. I think she much preferred the home cooked meals anyway and I enjoyed it because I could see the result weekly and that was such an incentive.

Some weeks I would just lose one or two pounds. Then on a good week I could lose much more. I started to have a sugar-free yoghurt with bran flakes, chia seeds and banana for breakfast, lunch and then I’d have a normal dinner.

On the first week of eating that I lost eight pounds. So, I stuck to that religiously and still eat yoghurt every day for breakfast.

People started to notice the weight falling off. There was a lot of praise and encouragement from the boys at work. They were struggling to recognise the new slim Derek from the person I used to be. My wife kept saying I looked good. She calls me Skinny Minnie even now.

One of the nicest things about having lost the weight is I enjoy clothes shopping again and can buy things of the normal rack.

I lost so much weight so quickly that I had to buy a whole new set of clothes early on. But then I lost another lot of weight and had to chuck those out and buy a second lot!

I went from a four or five XL or to an XL or L depending on the make, and from a 44-inch waist to a 32 / 34 inch waist and a size L or XL depending on the fit.

The hardest times to stick to it are when I go out for dinner or when I’ve had a stressful week or I’m feeling a bit low. During those times I tend to pick at crisps and sweets then have to pull it back the rest of the week.

I like my new way of eating though. I still have the odd takeaway, but these days I go for something like a chicken tikka which is less calories. I haven’t had a Dominos since April 2019.

My go to for an easy meal is a packet of Uncle Ben’s vegetable rice with a can of tuna and jalapenos. We eat lots of stir fries, but I don’t have the rice or noodles, I just have extra beansprouts. I’ve found it’s small changes like that that make all the difference.

I have a lot more energy these days, I am more alert. I can walk a lot further than I used to and started running back in January; I’ve done a couple of runs for charity.

Last year was the first year I’ve been abroad since the weight loss and I felt a big difference. I wasn't sweating as much and we walked miles without me being uncomfortable.

The best thing that’s come out of it though is that I have actually reversed the diabetes. I used to take around 10 tablets a day, for diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure. Now I am on one tablet for blood pressure - that’s it.

I feel like I have bought myself so many more years. It’s been the best health life change I have ever made.