Albion in the Community’s Kick Off the Weight programme has helped a participant drop an incredible 17.2kg
It was just a single photo that changed everything for Carl Smith. The father glanced at a photo with his son from a few years ago, where he donned a much trimmer physique.
It was at this moment Carl knew he needed to kick off the weight.
“You don’t realise how you can gradually put the weight on and when I saw the photo, I just thought to myself ‘this is embarrassing’.
“Albion in the Community’s Kick Off the Weight scheme came up on Facebook and I just applied.”
Prior to the 12-week programme, Carl consisted of an unbalanced diet and took part in less than 30 minutes of physical activity each week. Additionally, he consumed more than ten fizzy drinks per week and claimed to have a soft spot for various unhealthy foods such as sausage rolls and burgers.
The father recognised that it was challenging to make such a sudden adjustment to his diet and way of living. However, Carl has certainly begun to reap the rewards of adapting to a healthier lifestyle.
The Kick Off the Weight participant cut out various unhealthy foods, as well as excessive amounts of processed white bread, and also started to exercise more frequently.
“I’m walking a lot more now than I was doing before, as the health team put the step challenge into place. That sense of competition really helped me.”
He later added: “Every morning, I get up an hour before work and go for a walk and the days where I don’t do it, I actually end up feeling more tired.”
Since taking part in AITC’s programme, Carl has lost an astonishing 17.2kg across a three-month period. This accounts to 16.2% of his original body weight. As a group, the entire Kick Off the Weight cohort lost 57.1kg.
Furthermore, 100% of participants claimed they were very satisfied with the support provided, and the entire group also agreed that they have developed skills and tools to improve their health.
AITC’s health manager Sue Brown was delighted with the outcome of the programme.
“We were really pleased to be able to offer this opportunity from Adur and Worthing Councils to provide a weight management programme for men and are delighted with the results that the guys achieved during their time with us.
“Carl has taken on board all the advice offered around making changes to his diet and physical activity and the results are clear to see. He is able to make his own decisions based on what he knows and apply that knowledge to his lifestyle in a way that suits him and will be sustainable.
“He has invested time and energy into improving both his short and long-term health and that is fantastic to see. The men have worked together and supported each other to get to this point and I am sure they will continue to do so.”
For more information about AITC’s Kick Off the Weight programme and the other services the health team offer, please contact: health@bhafcfoundation.org.uk or visit bhafcfoundation.org.uk.