Stephen's story

How much weight have you lost and how long did it take?

I've lost 47kg over 7 months. I was 136kg in May and I currently weigh 89kg.

What prompted your decision to lose weight?

I made the decision to lose weight following surgery to remove my gall bladder. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure during my pre-surgery checks and I could tell the nurse was concerned about my BMI. I was given a pre-surgery diet to follow for two weeks and I managed to stick to it. This, combined with wanting to lower my blood pressure spurred me on to make a sustained effort to lose weight. I wanted to be healthier and be able to play with my children.

How did you hear about Nutracheck?

I found Nutracheck via a web search for ways to record and monitor your diet. I started keeping notes in my phone for what I'd eaten and decided I would be better off with an app. This one had good reviews so I decided to give it a go.

Has your weight stayed fairly consistent over the years, or have you always had to manage it?

I've never been slim and I think I've been obese most of my adult life. I played rugby and cricket but even when I was training for rugby a couple of evenings a week in my early 20s I was over 101.6kg due to my diet. Over the last few years I have gradually put on weight and peaked last May at 133.35kg. Our second son Thomas was born in September 2023 and we started eating more takeaways and doing less activity as we were spending time looking after Thomas and my older son William who is 7.

Have you experienced any health improvements?

Losing weight has had such a positive impact on my health. I can run around and play with my boys without getting sweaty and out of breath. I love chasing William round the soft play. I did a chin up for the first time in my life last week and I can take a much more active part in life. I'm back playing football with work colleagues and I have taken up padel tennis which I'm enjoying as I can move around the court. I had my blood pressure monitoring appointment before Christmas and I didn't need to start taking medication which looked likely in the summer. I had a range of blood test that all came back as normal as I was previously concerned about the possibility of developing diabetes and high cholesterol. I'm sleeping better and my snoring that Hollie has had to put up with for 10 years has nearly gone. I was getting poor quality sleep but this is much improved unless Thomas wakes up in the night. I feel much better and this is also the first time I've gone from October to January without developing a really bad cold or flu at some point.

How easy was it to fit the changes you made into your lifestyle?

I've found the changes easier than I expected. The app helps me make good decisions about meals and snacks and I do better when I plan what to eat at the start of the day. Knowing what calories I have left to use if I want to have a treat or go out for a meal at the weekend is really helpful. Lots of my changes have been around portion size and what I'm choosing for snacks between meals. I'm also doing more exercise. I started out going for daily walks and over time have built up to joining a gym keep active.

What was the most difficult thing about your weight-loss journey?

The hardest thing I've found so far is managing temptation when there are lots of opportunities to snack and have treats. My willpower was tested a few times over Christmas. I wasn't mean to myself and planned to have some treats and days off over Christmas but it was hard not to be tempted by the chocolates, mince pies and cheese filling the house over the festive period.

How do you feel now compared to before?

I feel so much better than I did before I started. The best thing for me is how easy it is to run around and play with the boys now. I'm also less worried about something happening to me that means I'm not there for the boys and Hollie as they get older.

Any notable milestones to report?

I realised I'd lost a third of my starting body weight in the last few weeks. That was massive for me and 44.45kg lost was a big achievement for me. Also moving into the overweight not obese category for BMI was a good day.

What 3 tips would you give to anyone who has weight to lose?

1. Be honest about what you eat and keep your record as accurate as possible in the app. Remember, calories you don't put in the app still count.
2. Combine calorie monitoring with exercise the two together have definitely made a big difference for me.
3. Still have treats and enjoy the foods you love. I still have pizza and Chinese takeaways but I'm more careful about what I choose and plan my days. If I know I'm getting a pizza and watching a film on Friday night, I’ll be more careful with my choices during the day so that I’ve got calories to spare.