Graham lost 7st 10lb

Graham Humpage, 61, is an architectural consultant from East Lothian in Scotland. He had never struggled with his weight and was always active. But over the past 10 years his work placed more demands on his time and, as his age crept up, so too did his weight.

During a holiday to France, Graham’s leg gave way underneath his body weight of 21st. He later visited the doctor who gave him a walking stick and told him he may need surgery. He knew that anaesthetics at his size were unsafe. He came to the uncomfortable realisation that his weight had become a debilitating problem in more ways than one.

Graham decided to do something about it. “This thing was not going to beat me. My mother is 93 years old and if I live that long there is still a few years to go!” So with vim and vigour he found a local gym 5 minutes away and the next port of call was to find, not a diet, but a lifestyle change. He says, “I wanted to treat this whole episode very much like an additional part of my job. Make it an everyday routine and subconsciously adapt each day to take in this new regime.”

Graham saw The Biggest Loser show and checked out The Biggest Loser Club. He was drawn in by the fact that The Club was based on normal food and drink, focused on exercise as well as diet and was a regimen that could fit into his daily lifestyle. “I knew this new healthier me was something that I was going to have to continue for the rest of my life and not a few weeks, so it had to be sustainable.”

Life with The Club

Graham followed the menu plans and says, “Not having to choose your own meals each day helped. The varied choices made eating a pleasure, and you almost felt like you were eating out, choosing from your vast menu.”

Despite his bad leg, Graham managed to squeeze in some workouts from the exercise programs, and adapted them to fit his ability. He also focused on strengthening the muscles above and below his knee with his personal trainer to aid his rehab and future mobility.

He monitored both his eating and exercise via the online diary. He says, “I consistently kept my diary up to date, even when I went on holiday. During this break my weight remained the same, which is unheard of while on vacation!”

Thanks to the diary, Graham now knows what to eat and how much. Breakfast is often cereal or eggs and tomatoes on ciabatta, lunch is a soup and salad or even stuffed peppers, and dinner is usually plenty of cooked seasonal vegetables with meat or fish.

Grahams says, “I never feel hungry and no longer use food as a respite. My new eating habits have become second nature to me, which is good because food should not control your everyday thinking, but be only a part of it.”

Support from every direction

The Club provided Graham with the tools and insight he needed to lose weight. But he also had the drive and determination within him to succeed. He says, “You need to have the state of mind whereby you want to do this and achieve your goal. You need to have the will to see it through.”

And if his motivation began to fade, his wife Fiona pushed him through. “Even my son Jamie helped in a small way with his derogatory comments that thankfully no longer included ‘fat’ or any criticism.” The dogs were at hand to eat his leftovers and soon Graham realised that it was actually happening. He says, “I was starting to enjoy it. It was working and the stick was staying firmly in the umbrella stand.”

And it didn’t take long for other people to notice the changes either, with neighbours commenting on Graham’s ever-shrinking figure. He says, “Even today, it is a sensational feeling when I meet people I haven’t seen for a while and they realise that I lost the weight. Thanks to each of them who said ‘well done’. I hope that I have encouraged a few others to do the same.”

Reaping the weight loss rewards

Graham has shed almost 8st, going from a hefty 21st to a much healthier 14st 4lb. This is a dramatic weight loss, and with it come noticeable benefits in Graham’s health and day-to-day life, as he reveals:

• I can walk without my old stick.

• My knee replacement is now on hold and I no longer have any pain.
• My blood pressure is lower.
• I’m far less stressed.
• I’m tasting my food, rather than just eating it.
• The aeroplane seatbelt isn’t too tight.
• Clothes sizes are available aplenty and in normal stores.
• My old shoes now fit because my feet are now narrower.
• My wife Fiona tells me I don’t snore anymore.
• I can play more chords on the guitar with my new slimmer fingers.

He says, “There are lots of pluses to losing weight, but the satisfaction and contentment of all these things are enough to encourage anyone to get back in shape – it opens up so many avenues that were closing!”

For the future, Graham is planning to get down to 13st 5lb, but for the meantime he is enjoying his new lease of life. He has bought a new motorbike and passed his test, along with son Jamie, and they are off for a boy’s trip in the Highlands.

In the meantime, Graham says, “We are visiting France and it will be really good to see some old friends and see their reaction to my less-significant stature. Then it’s to the Midlands to see my old Mum who has been begging me to lose weight for years. She always did try to tell me what to do – I only wish I had listened sooner!”