When Michael Boulton, 26, became a dad last year, he realised something needed to change.
At 26st, Michael was struggling to keep up with the other members of his football team, and didn’t want his weight to hold him back when raising his son, Ruben.
‘I just had this sort of realisation that I didn’t want to be limited in doing stuff with him as he grows up,’ Michael said.
‘As a big lad, it was always harder to enjoy playing football.
‘I would find myself playing against guys who were faster, more skillful, and not to mention slimmer.
‘I wanted to be able to play football and run around with Ruben without feeling embarrassed or ashamed, or not able to keep up.’
In March last year, Michael, who lives in Stoke-on-Trent, signed up to MAN v FAT, a weight loss programme that encourages men with a BMI of 27.5 or over to get fitter by playing in weekly football matches.
Now, less than a year later, Michael weighs 14st 9lb, meaning he’s lost 11st 5lb.
Michael also started running, and last week ran 5km in 26 minutes, a testament to his year-long health and fitness journey.
‘It works well for me because it holds you accountable every week,’ Michael said of Man v FAT.
‘You’re surrounded by other people that are also wanting to lose weight and you’re able to support one another through it.’
The beginner friendly nature of the programme helped Michael to settle in.
‘You’re matched up against blokes of similar size and ability, it doesn’t matter how big you are or how bad you think you are at footy, you fit in,’ he said.
‘Once you make the brave decision to sign up and go down to see what it’s like, you won’t look back.’
Motivated by his weekly football matches, Michael began exercising off the pitch in an attempt to help him and his teammates win, while also improving his weight loss.
What really helped Michael was making incremental changes to his lifestyle, and focusing on portion control and more mindful snacking.
‘I started off slow at first, just changing my diet but then I started to increase the amount of exercise I was doing,’ he said.
‘Beforehand, I would snack on crisps and chocolate but now I’ll go for fruit instead.
‘I also don’t have fizzy drinks anymore, I mostly just drink water.’
Thanks to his weight loss and improved health and fitness, Michael has more energy than ever – and can’t wait to play football with his son.
‘Everybody who knows me has been shocked at the difference, and even I can’t believe the difference sometimes, but it’s a great feeling,’ he said.
‘Because of the amount of cardio I do now, it’s improved my heart and cardiovascular system, and I definitely have more energy when I’m doing anything.
‘I don’t feel embarrassed about my fitness levels anymore and I know that as Ruben grows up, I’ll be able to run around and play with him, which was the whole motivation behind my weight loss.
‘I look forward to being an active dad and teaching my son how to play football.’
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