A Suffolk man has won his life back, losing nine stone after being "desperate for help."
Steve Markham from Bury St Edmunds has dropped from a size XXXL to a small in the space of a year after losing nine stone.
The 56-year-old had struggled in previous attempts to lose weight, claiming he could barely walk a mile.
He said: "In January 2022, I had chronic backache, knee pain and felt totally wiped out for hours afterwards.
"My diet was quite often a daily loaf of bread, double cod and chips, grab bag of crisps, frozen ready meals and lots of alcohol."
Mr Markham claimed he struggled to get off the sofa without straining and groaning and would rarely leave the house due to his size and subsequent mental health issues and had very little social interaction as a consequence.
In January 2022, Mr Markham joined his branch of Slimming World.
He said: "I found those first steps into the group exceptionally difficult. Nothing could ever be as hard as my first day.
"It was so far out of my comfort zone, I was close to tears, for 40 minutes, I sat with my mask on, my hood up and my head down not wanting to make eye contact with anyone but I was so desperate for help.
"I remember so clearly that first morning, the fear and anxiety I had when I went through those doors.
He has now lost nine stone and has said he has won his life back, dropping from a 46 inch waist to a 30 inch.
He has said that he is now able to go clothes shopping rather than do it online, and with his new diet, has said he is still able to enjoy a pint of beer.
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