by A MAN lost a staggering 8st in just six months – Loose Women star Denise Welch as his secret weapon.
Rhys Collington, 29, was addicted to food and tipped the scales at 22 (308 pounds), wearing a size 3XL at his biggest.
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After struggling with on-and-off diets since he was a teenager, Rhys had a “lightbulb” moment and decided to make a change in January 2023.
Rhys ate his share bags of crisps and chocolate, as well as the family-sized portions of curry and a bowl of spag that he would eat in one sitting.
He went on to lose 8st and now weighed just 14st (196lbs), after combining a low 800 calorie daily diet with regular exercise.
Following in the footsteps of Denise Welch – who was open about overcoming her own food addiction – Rhys believes his relationship with food has now changed and he maintains his new weight with smaller portions.
He can now “walk into any clothing store” and adds an average size.
Rhys, an optical assistant from Nottingham, said: “My weight made me miserable.
“There’s quite a culture of being positive as a bigger person but I struggle to see how anyone can.
“I couldn’t buy clothes from regular shops, I couldn’t ride some of the rides at Alton Towers because barriers wouldn’t close and I had to buy clothes online from certain retailers who had 3XL stock. “
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Rhys remembered the moment he had to get off the bike ride because he couldn’t stand it.
“It was the Oblivion tour that I couldn’t go on specifically, it was really deadly, you have to get out in front of everyone.
“It was suddenly clear how unhappy I was and how far I would let him get out of control in the presence of the light bulb.
“As I approached 30, I wanted to change myself.
“I can walk into any store now and try on anything – it’s a breath of fresh air.”
A vicious cycle
Rhys struggled with his weight from a young age and says it simply stemmed from “not moving enough.”
He said: “It was up and down.
“He was really overeating and didn’t move much.
“I’d eat a lot – a typical lunch was a sandwich, a shared bag of crisps, followed by some chocolate. Just things people eat, but way too much of it.
“Dinner I would cook maybe a curry or a bowl of spag, but I used to cook the whole thing and eat it instead of sharing it, which I do now.
“I did a lot in the Arts but I wasn’t necessarily a boy who ran around and played football etc.
“So it just went from there really and the older I got the heavier I got.”
Rhys began to develop a food addiction and his days depended on when he would be next to be eating
He tried different diets and weight loss tactics but nothing seemed to work.
He said: “My biggest addiction was food – it can be very addictive.
“I would spend the first half of my work shift thinking about lunch.
“My mum told me we used to be on holiday and I’d ask about lunch while I was eating breakfast and it comes back to food addiction.”
Rhys tried various diets, including Slimming World, which he couldn’t stick to.
“During the lockdown, I tried a different diet but we were in lockdown and we would just cook doing this, doing that and being off work for that amount of time, the weight started coming back on,” he continued.
THE RETURN
After listening to actress Denise Welch talk about her own food addiction and the diet she used, Rhys got involved.
He said: “I thought I’d introduce this new diet to LighterLife.
“For me, the faster results were a big motivation.
“It’s always disappointing when you’re tracking something during the week and you don’t get the result you want.
“In the first week, I lost 13 pounds and in three weeks I had lost almost 2.
“With your mentor, you really go deep when you’re thinking about food and you try jump yourself back into the moment.
“Now I have learned that it can be applied to any situation.
“After the [LighterLife] diet, I reintroduced food and kept up with exercise and re-educating myself.
“Sometimes I’d go into my work and someone might not have seen me for a few months and they’d be surprised at the difference – it was a very quick change.”
NEW FEATURES
Rhys now goes to the gym five times a week to maintain his new habits and says “new doors have opened”.
He said: “I go in the morning before work.
“I’ve been putting in some weight training to gain muscle and tone up a bit.
“It’s always hard to maintain but the good thing about the diet is that it teaches you ways to manage that addiction.
“I eat smaller portions now and I don’t think about food like I used to.
“I usually take something with me the Office that’s healthier.
How to lose weight safely
Losing weight should be a long-term commitment to healthier living, rather than any drastic measures.
NHS tips – which can be taken slowly – include:
- Be active for 150 minutes a week – you can break this up into shorter sessions
- Try to get your 5 a day – 80g of fresh, tinned or frozen fruit or vegetables will count as 1 portion
- Aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds, or 0.5 to 1kg, per week
- Read food labels – green color coded products are often a healthier choice than amber and red
- Swap sugary drinks for water – if you don’t like the taste, add lemon or lime slices to taste
- Cut down on foods high in sugar and fat – start by swapping sugary cereals for whole grain alternatives
- Share your weight loss plan with someone you trust – they can help cheer you up when you’re having a bad day
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“Some mornings I might have breakfast, I might not have breakfast.
“I think of it as something that sustains me rather than being necessary during the day.
“In general I feel much better.
“I feel so much more confident – I can dress the way I’ve always wanted to dress, I’ve made new friendships and it’s given me the confidence to date again.
“It’s hard to come forward as a big man in the gay community because it’s so body-centric.
“But it’s something I always have to manage. It’s a lifelong thing. You have to manage it.”
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