When it comes to members finding their path to success on MAN v FAT, it doesn’t necessarily mean taking out all of the good things that you enjoy.
MAN v FAT doesn’t prescribe particular diet plans to help guys lose weight, but instead aim to provide information and support that steers you toward something that gets you up and running with those changes to lifestyle.
For MAN v FAT member Josh Cartwright, it was reducing the takeaways he had each month – but still making sure that he and his partner were able to have one when they fancied it!
He said: “Me and my partner, who has also been on this weight loss journey with me, have a great diet plan in place now. We’ve gone from around 9 or 10 takeaways a month to 2 on our fortnightly cheat days.
“The rest of our week consists of alternating salad and “normal” food days. I now walk to and from work everyday and my job is very physical so I get around 15k steps a day, 5 days a week. I’m hopeful with these changes I’ll consistently lose weight until I reach my target but a plateau could be around the corner and we’ll address that when it happens.”
Josh has got off to a great start with his weight loss, having lost around 40kg since he first got underway at MAN v FAT Castle Vale.
His efforts at home have played their part in keeping him on track, but the structure of MAN v FAT has also given him that focus that he needed.
He added: “I think the most important thing for me is the competition, I’m super competitive so having the weight loss be a part of the scoring system and also having awards foe individual accomplishment really pushed me to want to lose weight every week and make sure I was top of the leaderboard, which I have been for the two full seasons I’ve attended and am on track for a third this season.
“The guys I play with every week have made it very easy to be a part of, very welcoming and understanding. In the first few sessions you attend are a real wake up call for you, I never realised how unfit I’d allowed myself to get and I couldn’t run at all at the start.
“I was suffering constant injuries and pains but I was helped to push through them. Everyone at MAN v FAT had to start somewhere and they understand if you’re struggling. It’s always a great laugh and the quality of players is way higher than I anticipated.”
With new starters across MAN v FAT each week, there are always guys getting their weight loss journey underway.
And Josh is keen to extol the virtues of MAN v FAT for anyone thinking about joining too.
He said: “If you’re on the fence about joining up, I’d say just dive straight in, you can attend a introductory session to see if it’s for you and then start playing every week.
“If you love playing football this is a great way to scratch that itch and also make some quality of life changes too. I personally never intended to go through such a drastic weight loss, I just wanted to play football, but seeing everyone there being to do more than me and also having the motivation of the weight loss scoring.
“I would love to achieve a 40% total weight loss from my start weight, I’m currently approaching 25% so I’m well on my way but I can see the hardest challenges are still to come.
“I’ve absolutely committed 100% to changing my life and my only regret is not doing it sooner. I originally applied around 5 years ago but chickened out before it even got to the registration, if I’d done it then who knows what weight I’d be at now. Don’t hesitate to change your life!”
Ready to get started?
If Josh’s story has inspired you, we’d love to welcome you to MAN v FAT! Take a look at www.manvfatfootball.com for more details on your closest club.
