Man who 'struggled to walk for 10 minutes' loses the weight of an entire person
A man who shed over 13 stones in two years by playing football has shared his joy at having a "new lease of life".
Alex Cook, 46, said he's now able to enjoy experiences he couldn't before due to his weight, like a helicopter ride, a zipline and jumping off the Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas. Alex, a technical estimator, said his weight peaked after the first two Covid lockdowns, reaching 31st 11lb by November 2021.
He decided to make a change and joined the Man v Fat football programme. In this programme, players are weighed before a 30-minute game of six-a-side football, with extra goals awarded based on weight loss. Around the same time, his girlfriend Lottie, 31, an A&E nurse, had a gastric sleeve procedure.
Alex joined MAN v FAT in November 2021 (Collect/PA Real Life)They decided to support each other through their weight-loss journeys by eating the same meals. Now, Alex weighs 18st 8lb and is ticking off bucket list experiences that were previously out of reach due to his weight. Alex, who lives with Lottie in Portsmouth, shared with RSVP Live: "My life is so much different now. Before I used to struggle walking for 10 minutes, but now I'm really active and play two games of football a week. The programme has honestly been life-changing for me and it's enabled me to make new experiences."
Alex first joined the Man v Fat football programme five years ago, but left after a while. It was only after the first two Covid lockdowns that he started to think about rejoining. He confessed: "I'd put on weight during Covid and I was at my biggest weight by 2021."
Woman tells of losing 29 kilos and becoming a bodybuilder in her 60s
"I'd initially joined the first time because it was something new and quite innovative. Me and a few mates joined because we hadn't played football for years and we'd all put weight on so it was just a good idea at the time. I gave it up after a while and then the Covid lockdowns came into effect and I put loads of weight on, I was at my biggest I've ever been." In November 2021, Alex weighed himself and, at 31st 11lb, he decided to rejoin the football group.
He added: "I was always out of breath and I was always tired. I was struggling to take the dog for a walk and when I did go for a walk I'd last five to 10 minutes before I was out of breath. I knew my physical state was in need of getting sorted. Rejoining the group, everyone was welcoming and I've made so many friends now. Everyone helps you and gives you encouragement."
Alex, a football enthusiast, started changing his diet by replacing his usual two to three weekly takeaways with smaller homemade meals. He said: "My girlfriend Lottie was undergoing a gastric sleeve at the time and I wanted to be supportive of her too so I decided to eat the same meals as her."
"She could only have very small and healthy meals after the surgery so we both ate together and it was nice to have each other during our weight loss journeys." After two years of focusing on his fitness, Alex weighed in last month at 18st 8lb, shedding an impressive 13st 3lb.
Living in Portsmouth, Alex occasionally visits his family in Birmingham who are always "amazed" by his transformation. He added: "I don't get to see my family a lot so every time I do see them they are always shocked and very happy for me. It's nice to get that recognition. I actually think I look older since the weight loss but Lottie disagrees and she says I look better now." Since their weight loss, the couple have been selling their old clothes and buying new smaller sizes on second-hand apps like Vinted.
They've completely revamped their wardrobes, with Alex trading his 5XL clothes for 2XL. Earlier this month, Alex and Lottie holidayed in Las Vegas, a place Alex had visited several times before. But this time, he said he was able to do "so much more" thanks to his weight loss.
He shared: "I've been to Las Vegas loads of times but I've done more this holiday than ever before because previously my weight held me back. There are things like helicopter rides that I could never do because I was too big and zip lines, that we did this holiday. I'd had it in my mind when we booked the holiday six months ago that I wanted to jump off the Stratosphere Tower which is a 1,000-foot jump and I knew I had to be a maximum of 120kg for it, which I did."
"We also did a lot of walking, doing over 20,000 steps a day and before the weight loss, we couldn't have done that. So, besides the fitness, life has changed massively. I've just got a new lease of life and I am able to have all sorts of new experiences."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
