A dad-of-three who was once so overweight he struggled to fit into an aeroplane seat has lost 5st 11/2 lbs to pick up a national award from Slimming World.
Ross Hebden, 36, had struggled with his weight since childhood and his unhealthy eating habits continued when he met his wife Amanda as they settled into a routine of enjoying indulgent meals and cosy takeaways together.
Ross, who works in insurance and lives in Gloucestershire with Amanda and their three children Ailla, six, Rewan, four, and Elowen, one, was over the moon to be named Mr Sleek in Slimming World’s 50th anniversary year.
A cruel work email also left Ross feeling ashamed because of his weight: “It had got to the stage where I was almost used to people making comments about my size. But when an email went around at work which called me the ‘fat and ugly bloke,’ I was devastated. I wasn’t supposed to receive it, but that didn’t matter – my self-worth was completely destroyed and I just couldn’t shake it off.”
In the past Ross tried to lose the pounds by upping his exercise levels, but without a healthy eating plan to go alongside it, his progress was often slow and frustrating. He says: “I was getting physically fitter, yet I still wasn’t getting the results I wanted because I hadn’t done anything to address my eating habits. Plus, if I did lose some weight I found it really hard to keep it off. I yo-yoed like this for a few years until I decided to enter the Tewkesbury Half Marathon. Almost as soon as I started my training I badly injured my knee, which I knew was down to the extra weight I was carrying.
“The final straw really came when Amanda and I went to buy a new family car and we had a photograph taken at the garage to celebrate. When I saw it my heart sank. Despite the exercise, I could see I was almost getting back to my biggest and deep down I knew that if I really wanted to lose weight, I had to look at what I was eating. Amanda had recently given birth to Elowen and was joining her local Slimming World group to lose some baby weight, so I thought I’d bite the bullet and go along with her.”
At first Ross was worried that he’d have to go hungry in order to lose weight, so he was surprised to learn that he could still enjoy all of his favourite meals – they just had to be prepared and cooked in a different way.
He says: “Amanda had followed Slimming World’s eating plan before so I knew the meals tasted nice, yet I still worried that I’d have to give up my favourite foods. Going to the group really opened my eyes to a whole new way of eating though. I realised that with a few adjustments I could still enjoy a bacon sandwich for breakfast, I just needed to trim the fat off my meat and switch to wholemeal bread.
“Joining a group made everything click for me and part of that was definitely because of the other members. I was worried I’d be the only man there and I’d feel out of place, yet everyone was so welcoming and supportive that it really helped me to hit the ground running. I haven’t looked back since and neither has Amanda, she’s lost 3st 6.5lbs too!”
Now a keen runner and gym enthusiast, Ross has another hobby which has benefitted greatly from his weight loss. “I’ve always had a keen interest in American football – it was a sport I could play even at my biggest. Back then I formed part of the offensive line as I was a big bloke… although now I’m too slim for that position! I’ve switched roles to a more attacking position which sees me move around and affect the play a lot more, and I absolutely love it. Nowadays running is much easier too and I’ve completed several half marathons in under two hours, which is something I never really thought possible.”
The most important change Ross’ weight loss has brought is a little closer to home though. He says: “For me, everything that I have done has been for my family. I wanted to support my wife on her Slimming World journey, but I also wanted to be the best possible father to my kids. I was becoming the kind of dad who was tired all the time or was too out of breath to play with them, and that wasn’t who I wanted to be. Now I’ve got plenty of energy to keep up with my three wonderful children and I couldn’t be happier about that.
“I really understood just how far I’d come when I had to get on a plane again. We were flying to Spain, and this time around it was such a different experience. I had plenty of room, my knees didn’t dig into the seat in front and I could pull the table down with ease! I feel like a totally different person, one that is full of confidence and ready to take on whatever life throws at me.”
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