Before and after
At 37st, Stuart Eggleshaw regularly experienced embarrassment when he couldn’t fit through turnstiles following his beloved Mansfield Town FC. Embarrassment, though, was the least of his worries, especially when, in September 2012, a minor car crash forced him to face up to his size. Although the incident was not serious, he worried that if things had been different the paramedics may have found it very difficult to treat him, wondering too if they’d be able to get him out of the car.
On that life or death realisation, Stuart decided enough was enough and has since lost an incredible 22 stone in four years. MR caught up with Stuart to find out about his inspiring weight-loss story…
Had you always been overweight, or was there a certain point in your life when you started piling on the pounds?
I had always been overweight as I grew up but it was always put down to puppy fat and other little sayings to not make me feel so bad about my size. I knew I was the most overweight kid in the neighbourhood and this was confirmed each time we played football – when I was put in goal.
As I got older I moved into my own house and the weight increased, as rather than cooking I would eat convenience foods – takeaways or ready-made sandwiches from the shop.
When did you decide to do something about your weight?
In 2012 I was involved in a road traffic accident where I needed medical assistance, and that made me realise that the size I was meant that if the accident had been more serious my chances of survival would have been lower. At the time I could only manage to walk about 50 yards without stopping for a rest and that was about as much exercise I got. I weighed over 37 stone…
What was the first thing you did?
I spoke to family and friends about my concerns and, while I had always known I was overweight, this was the first time I had really acknowledged that I needed to do something about it. I knew that before I would be able to even consider exercising I needed to lose some weight and, after discussions with my stepmother, I decided to join Slimming World.
How hard was it at first?
I found that following the Slimming World plan worked incredibly well for me and in my first week I lost 16lbs. I was losing an average of 5lbs or more a week. After I had lost around 9st I felt that I could start to look to bring in exercise to boost my self-esteem and so initially I started walking two to three miles during lunchtimes at work. I began enjoying this and started walking at weekends too. A couple of months after starting the walks I was walking along listening to the music through my phone when Adam and the Ants’ ‘Goody two shoes’ started to play and I thought, “This is a good song to run to” and I found myself starting to jog. I thought “I’ll carry on to the next lamppost” and upon reaching it I decided to carry on to the next one. I got there and found myself out of breath but I was elated as this non-scale victory was another step in me starting to enjoy my life again.
What was your running schedule like?
After that first time I decided that each time I went out walking I would look to involve some running and that I would try and run for longer periods each time I did. I started out by running between lampposts, walking between the next set, running the next set and so on. I was not very fast and I don’t think it would have looked graceful but I was enjoying it. After about a month I managed to run my first non-stop mile which took me about 12 minutes 45 seconds, but again afterwards I felt great. After a few more months I was running on average three times a month and my sister Clare started coming running with and supporting. By November 2014 we were both really enjoying our running and ran a ‘homemade’ 13.1-mile course in 2hrs 7mins. While we have always been close, running has brought us even closer.
What was your first race?
I didn’t enter my first race until August 2015, which was the inaugural Mansfield 10K. With Mansfield being my home town, it felt right that this should be my very first competitive run.
I really enjoyed the run and the course, especially as it was around all the areas I knew well from growing up. I had set myself a goal of finishing in around 50 minutes, so I was delighted when my official finish time was just under 48 minutes.
Have there been any particularly great moments in your weight-loss journey?
There have been many amazing moments during my weight-loss journey but I feel the pinnacle moment was that, after losing 22st 9lbs, I was crowned Slimming World’s Greatest Loser 2014.
Congratulations! And have you had any setbacks or tougher times?
Like everyone else, I have had weeks where I have gained weight but I know that I can now control it. I have also had the usual injuries in my knees, ankles and back which have at times meant that I have not been able to run as much as I would wish. When I was not a runner I would speak to people who were runners, who were unhappy that, due to injuries, they could not run – and I thought they were nutters! Well I’m now one of those nutters.
How has your diet changed?
My diet has changed immensely. I don’t have takeaway pizzas, kebabs, pies, chips, crisps and chocolate any more. Meals now are all homemade and healthy. I can still have chips, kebab and pizza; it’s just about how it is cooked and the ingredients.
How has running and losing weight changed your life?
I currently weigh 15st 7lbs and feel absolutely fantastic. I can do so much more in life and running plays a big part in that. I have so much more confidence and the smile on my face is a genuine one as I am now living and loving life. I have found love since losing weight and, while my girlfriend Jen is not one for running, she is always there supporting me – she jokes that the closest she will ever get to running is running me a bath!
Slimming World’s marathon team is running for Cancer Research UK at the Virgin Money London Marathon this April. To support the Slimming World marathon team and help Cancer Research UK raise £2million, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/SWMarathonTeam2016. To find your nearest Slimming World group visit slimmingworld.co.uk
