Stuart's story

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

When I started my weight loss journey I was 15st 9lbs219lbs99.3kg (end of July 2019). I set myself a target I thought achievable of 14st. This morning (November 15th 2019) I weighed in at my ultimate target of 13st182lbs82.6kg. I should say I'm 6ft 2in.

What prompted your decision to lose weight?

I'm 56 years old and always considered myself to be in pretty good shape generally but I now realise I was in denial.

Things came to a bit of a head when my partner, Lisa, and I were round at a friends. We were talking about weight generally and our friends asked how much I weighed. I didn't have a clue, hadn't weighed myself in years but I suspected around 15 stone. Imagine my shock when I weighed in at over 17 stone. That was May 2018.

At that point I tried dieting simply by steering clear of too much chocolate and cakes etc and that worked a bit and over the course of the following 12 months I'd lost around a stone but knew I had a long way to go.

How did you hear about Nutracheck?

My partner found the Nutracheck App after googling calorie counting Apps and preferred the way Nutracheck worked to other alternatives.

I downloaded the App and started recording my food intake. It was a complete game changer. I found it so motivational and informative. I was learning so much about what I was putting into my body. Not everything I thought was good for me was and conversely those meals I assumed were bad for me weren’t necessarily. I needed to make some adjustments.

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

I would eat what I wanted, when I wanted and I didn't worry too much about my weight at all. Once I hit my 50's I found I was putting on excess weight and had moobs and a paunch. I'd reached a point of denial. Told myself I was carrying a few extra pounds but I was in my 50's, what did I expect. I was also smoking reasonably heavily too.

At this point it's worth noting that I was relatively inactive, smoked and suffered from terrible acid reflux that would require me to take up to 12 anti acid tablets every night. I also snored heavily and again put this down to my age.

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

I was amazed how much easier things were now I had a much better idea of what I could eat. I was learning about macros, protein, carbs etc. It was a revelation.

What was the most difficult thing?

The hardest thing for me was managing to drink 2L of water a day. On holiday it was easy as it was hot but in the normal course of an average day I struggled, but once I'd got into the habit of not having multiple cups of tea or coffee it wasn't too bad.

How do you feel now compared to before?

My life is so much improved for my weight loss. I have so much more energy generally. I no longer smoke, although I currently vape, I rarely use anti acid tablets anymore, my partner gets a full nights sleep as I no longer snore. I've gone from a tight 36in waist to a comfy 32in. The only down side to losing so much weight is I need a new wardrobe now!

I swear by Nutracheck and recommend it to everyone. I'm active in a Facebook group and help with advice on its use and I’ve also joined a gym to help with my fitness and strength and toning those bits up that are still a little flabby.

I will continue using Nutracheck now I'm maintaining. I'm still in the process of working out my ideal calorie level to maintain but that's all part of the journey.

Any notable milestones to report?

I was so happy when I went shopping for a new paid of jeans and bought a pair of 32in waist Levi's. They fit so nicely. Previously I was in a 36in waist with my tummy pouring over the top of my belt.

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

1. Set yourself small targets then you can always reset once you've achieved that.
2. If you have a bad day and eat more than your allowance just forget all about it and move on, tomorrow is a new day.
3. Count everything. Everything. It's easy to ignore the odd biscuit or ketchup on your dinner. Log it. It all counts.