James Nash, a 33-year-old civil engineer from Eastleigh, Hampshire, has lost 11 stone in two years after his doctor warned him about swelling in his leg. Weighing 24 stone 9 pounds, he transformed his body by changing his diet and joining the Man V Fat football program.
Doctor's Warning Sparks Change
James had struggled with his weight for five years. He ate McDonald's McMuffins and Tesco meal deals almost daily, consuming up to 4,000 calories per day. His typical breakfast was a McMuffin with hash brown and large sweet coffee (around 1,800 calories), lunch was a triple sandwich meal deal with energy drink, crisps, and chocolate bar (about 1,000 calories), and dinner was pasta bakes with garlic bread and pork sausages (1,400 calories). Sometimes he added a Domino's pizza.
Joining Man V Fat
In January 2024, James joined the Man V Fat program, which combines weight loss with football. He met his team every Friday for weigh-ins and matches. "It seemed like it was Weight Watchers that included football. Walking into a room full of guys on the same journey to sort of bare your embarrassment was daunting," James said. "The hardest step was doing the first week but I actually quite enjoyed it."
Diet Overhaul
James credits his weight loss to diet and calorie counting. He switched to coffee and yoghurt for breakfast, chicken, jerky, Babybel, fruit, and low-calorie crisps for lunch, and chicken sausages, boiled eggs, mixed veg, and light cheese for dinner. He still allows occasional treats like a McDonald's breakfast but plans his other meals around them. "It's about balancing because I'm trying to get back to not being really strict with the diet," he said.
Physical and Mental Health Improvements
James now plays multiple football games a week and has more energy. "My mental health in general with my current weight loss has definitely improved, as has my physical health and wellbeing," he said. He had to spend hundreds of pounds on new clothes twice as he dropped from extra large to medium sizes.
Family Life Transformed
James's partner, Sophie, also started a weight loss journey, and they now cook together. "We're so much happier now, in ourselves and our appearances, and just our family life. With my kids, I can take them out on a whim now, get their bikes and go to the park, get really involved and I'm not so out of breath," James said.
