A man has revealed he dropped 12 stone in just a year after fearing he wouldn’t be around for his family.
Lee Herring, from Pembroke in South Wales, didn’t resort to a weight loss jab such as Ozempic or Wegovy, which millions have used to slim down.
The receptionist, who weighed 25st 1lb (159kg) at his heaviest, also claims he didn’t go on ‘a diet’ — instead, he focused on ‘re-educating’ himself about food.
Mr Herring ditched chocolate, cream buns, microwave meals and Chinese takeaways is favour of porridge for breakfast, and meat and vegetables for dinner, and carrot sticks as snacks.
The 31-year-old said he now eats three well portioned meals per day and allows himself just one treat day a month.
And he didn’t embark on a punishing exercise regime either: To get fitter, he decided to take up regular walks.
Simply by doing this, twelve months later, Mr Herring weighs 12st 9lbs (80.3kg) — and says his transformation has given him ‘so much more freedom’.
‘I always stress that I’ve not done this cosmetically, my main motivating factor was purely for health,’ Mr Herring said.
Lee Herring, from Pembroke in South Wales, didn’t resort to a weight loss jab, saying it was ‘so worth it’
Instead, the receptionist, who weighed 25st 1lb (159kg) at his heaviest, vowed to overhaul his diet
‘Being there for my friends and family — I didn’t want them to see me like that and worry about me, that was my motivating factor.
‘There were times when I wanted to give up but it’s been so worth it.’
In his previous job as a community carer, Mr Herring said he regularly dealt with people who had suffered from a stroke or heart attack and ‘really felt’ the impact it had on victims and families.
‘So I thought I had to buck up my ideas and make a change,’ he added.
‘It was tough both physically and mentally — getting into that mentality and coping with cravings for sugary and fatty foods.
‘I’ve spoken to friends and family who call it a diet but it’s not a diet it’s a food relationship re-education programme.’
Prior to his weight loss challenge, Mr Herring would typically have granola or sugary cereal for breakfast, followed by a pre-made sandwich or baguette oozing with cheese and butter for lunch.
Dinner would regularly consist of either a pizza or Chinese takeaway and ice cream.
He ditched chocolate, sweets, cream buns, microwave meals and Chinese takeaways for lean meat, more fruit and vegetables and porridge. The 31-year-old said he now eats three well portioned meals per day and allows himself just one treat day a month
Now, porridge — for slow release energy — accounts of most of his breakfasts, with grilled chicken or a protein shake for lunch.
Mr Herring says that he opts for vegetables and chicken or another type of lean meat for dinner.
He also says he snacks on fruit or carrot sticks throughout the day.
‘I do allow myself treat days, maybe once a month — but it’s not excessive,’ he added.
‘There are little doubts in the back of my mind about a relapse, which I think is natural.
‘But overall, I’m feeling confident that I’ll be able to keep on track with the skills I’ve learnt in the past year.’
He has now set a target weight goal of 11st 8lbs (75kg) as he sets on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and has turned his attention to strength training to begin toning up.
He began walking daily at the beginning of his challenge, only able to complete a ‘slow walk with lots of breathlessness’.
Now, he walks up to 90 minutes per day and undertakes cardio workouts at the gym.
‘The first couple of months I was averaging a loss of around 1.5st a month and it’s started to plateau now which is fine as I’m at an acceptable weight,’ he said.
Prior to his journey, doing everything was ‘a challenge’, he added.
‘Everything was limited. Walking up stairs a challenge, getting in the car was a challenge too.
‘I had a lot of joint pain, got tired easily and I was constantly breathless.’
Now however, he has switched 5XL clothes which he would order from special websites to being able to shop on the high street.
I’m a medium or large — I can walk into a clothes shop and pick something up and try it on,’ he said. ‘It gives me so much more freedom.’
