A HEAVYWEIGHT grandfather who vowed to slim down so he could keep up with his two grandchildren has lost a stone a month despite being forced off his feet for eight weeks with a broken ankle.

James Mortlock

A HEAVYWEIGHT grandfather who vowed to slim down so he could keep up with his two grandchildren has lost a stone a month despite being forced off his feet for eight weeks with a broken ankle.

Paul Glover, 52, of Bury St Edmunds, weighed in at almost 24 stone when he started dieting last year after he began suffering from high blood pressure and other physical problems and found he was being left behind by his grandchildren aged two and nine months.

Now, the contracts manager from Abbotsbury Road has marked the landmark of shedding seven stone in as many months and he is determined to keep the momentum going.

He said: “I became such a lightweight that I fell over playing golf in October and broke my ankle in two places. I had two plates fitted, spent eight days in hospital and was off my feet for eight weeks.

“I have only just gone back to work twelve weeks after the accident but despite being hugely hampered and unable to exercise I still managed to maintain my weight loss. I have now lost seven stone and two pounds, that's just over a stone a month and my target is to lose 10 stone and get back to my old weight of 14 stone”.

Mr Glover said the weight loss began when he got fed up with feeling unattractive and facing a growing list of health problems: “It all started when I became tired of pampering towards the needs my ever growing stomach. I decided to regain some sort of physique that did not dictate where I could shop for clothes and I swore to regain some of my physical stamina”.

“At 23 stone 11.5 pounds I found I was resorting to ill-fitting clothes that made me feel self-conscious and unattractive in public, not to mention the blood pressure and snoring, which were becoming a problem. The thought of having to take tablets on a daily basis to control my blood pressure was not appealing.

“And when I went out to get the shirts to cover my stomach, they did not fit me on the shoulders and the arms were too big. I found the answer to my weight problem by talking to my daughter, Christa, who told me about the Slimming World weight loss programme. I took the plunge and registered with the Westley group, which is based in Bury.”

Mr Glover was the only man in the group but said he was soon made to feel welcome. He now wants to inspire others in similar situations to him to do something about their weight: “The main thing is not to beat yourself up if you stray from the plan or do not lose any weight for a few weeks. I still have a way to go to reach target but I am well on the way. I feel I cut a more dashing figure, I feel better and fitter and I can wear clothes that are better fitting. And now that I am a granddad, I need to be on top form to spoil my grandchildren and keep up with them.”