A single dad lost 15 stone by eating the same meals every day for two years after previously spending £8,000 a year on McDonald's.
From footballer to 26st 7lb
Brad Rogers, a 54-year-old chief executive who lives in Minster, Kent, struggled with his weight from childhood but became a semi-professional footballer in his 20s. As he got older, he relied on takeaways and piled on the pounds, reaching 26st 7lb (168.3kg) in 2021, leaving him struggling to walk and run around with his son.
In August 2024, he joined the football-based weight-loss programme Man v Fat and completely changed his diet, avoiding carbohydrates “as much as possible”. Alongside weekly football, he started going to the gym, running, swimming and walking more, steadily losing between 2lb and 4lb a week. Over the next three years, he lost 15 stone (95.3kg) in total, dropping to 11st 7lb (73kg), improving his health and energy levels while becoming his son’s football coach.
Money saved and health regained
Brad, a father to Oliver, 13, said: “I’ve saved so much money by not having takeaways. When I was eating them regularly, I’d spend about £8,000 a year just at McDonald’s. People have walked past me and not realised it’s me.”
Brad said he had “struggled with his weight” as a child, even being bullied for his size at primary school. He said he was “put on a diet” during the summer before starting secondary school and lost weight to reach 11 stone (69.9kg). He managed to keep it off for years, even becoming a semi-professional football player for Dagenham and Redbridge FC, before gradually gaining weight again.
Tried every diet
Over the following decade, he increasingly relied on takeaways and rarely exercised, reaching around 20 stone (127kg) by 2020. He said he tried “every diet under the sun”, including keto, Slimming World and WeightWatchers, but found that “nothing worked” and struggled to stick with them. By 2021, after becoming even less active during lockdown, Brad reached his heaviest weight of 26st 7lb (168.3kg) and was wearing a size 4XL. His BMI was 56.4, classifying him as severely obese.
He was eating a full English breakfast most mornings, a burger and chips for lunch, and lasagne or pasta for dinner, followed by “lots of snacks” such as chocolate and crisps.
Man v Fat programme
“I struggled to walk very far or even breathe properly, and my son was getting older and I couldn’t play football with him,” Brad said. “I’ve never really been self-conscious. I’ve got a big personality and a big group of friends. I was more worried about my health than how I looked.”
In August 2024, he joined Man v Fat, a weight-loss programme where men play weekly football matches alongside losing weight. Players attend weekly sessions where they weigh in and play 28-minute games of small-sided football – extra goals are awarded to teams with the greatest total weight-loss. Both a team’s total weight loss and goals scored in matches contribute to a team’s standing in the club’s league table, with winners crowned at the end of 14-week seasons.
“I could only run for a minute or two at the beginning, but I knew I loved the game,” Brad said. “We were all in the same boat and the camaraderie is fantastic. We all shared a love of football and we all wanted to lose weight. It felt like something I’d needed to belong to for a long time.”
Same meals every day
After six months of weekly football sessions and changing his diet, he had lost two stone (12.7kg). He focused on maintaining a calorie deficit by tracking everything he ate and cutting back on carbohydrates and fat. Brad said he has since eaten almost the same meals every day for the past two years. “It takes all the thinking away and it just works for me,” he said. “I used to drink quite a lot of pints, but now I just have the odd gin and slimline tonic.”
On a typical day, he now has two slices of bacon, two eggs, baked beans and toast for brunch, followed by a latte, then a chicken or ham salad for dinner, or steak and eggs. He also joined a gym, got a dog, started walking more, and took up running and swimming, saying the weight “just dropped off”. He was losing between 2lbs (0.9kg) to 4lbs (1.8kg) a week and said he felt as though he had “so much more energy”.
Healthy weight and new wardrobe
Brad now weighs 11st 7lb (73kg), wears a size medium and plays football three times a week while going to the gym every day. His BMI is 24.5, making him a healthy weight. Although his weight has plateaued since January, he is now focused on building muscle by increasing his protein intake and eating more calories.
“I think it’s brought me and my son closer together. He plays football and I coach him. I’ve gone from having to shop in Sainsbury’s and Tesco to shopping in Next. Losing weight has been expensive because I’ve had to buy a whole new wardrobe. I enjoy dressing up and going out now.”
To other men hoping to lose weight, he said: “Give Man v Fat a go. I think it should be prescribed by GPs. It’s changed my life.”
For more information, visit manvfat.com
