Eight stone later super slimmer Andrew has ditched the 4XL shirts and is loving life

He sought help with his weight from Slimming World and has gone on to lose an incredible eight stone.

Now he says he eats more than he ever has before and enjoys food more than he has ever done.

And he also inspired his wife, Sarah, who has now lost four stone too.

Andrew, from Arleston, Telford, said: "I've struggled with my weight ever since I was at school. I loved chocolate from a young age. My parents used to own a pub and I used to have easy access to chocolate bars, and I used to take multiple bars at a time.

"Being severely overweight my health was ok, but I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea, borderline diabetes, developed knee and ankle problems and struggled with my breathing when I did any physical activity.

"Since I've joined Slimming World and lost the weight my sleep apnoea is very much improved. I don’t have knee problems anymore, but my ankle still hurts from time to time. I can do physical activities such as walking and jogging without being out of breath which for me is a bonus as I have never experienced anything like this before.

"Even when I was overweight, I tried to be active by playing football, doing judo, going for walks and going to the gym, but found it hard because I was always out of breath and didn’t have the energy because I was carrying so much weight around. I was embarrassed by my weight but chose not to do anything about it.

"Since I slimmed down, I have never had this amount of energy. I can do physical activities; I go for walks and do two or three miles at a time and I'm back in the gym to tone up. My job as HGV driver is physical and I can do this so much easier now."

Andrew said that he now enjoys a diet that includes lots of eggs, chicken, salad, fruit and vegetables.

He said: "I eat these more than I ever have done before, and I never thought I would enjoy it as much as I do. The foods that you can eat are amazing. I'm loving how I can make a traditional beef lasagne slimming world friendly with a few tweaks like replacing the béchamel sauce with swede, sweet potato, quark and grated cheddar as my healthy extra."

He said the best thing was being able to choose ordinary clothes.

He said: "I've never been able to go into high street shops and shop for clothes like the average person.

"I used to have to shop for clothes online as the high street shops didn’t cater for the bigger person. I used to be 4XL in tops and now I'm between large and extra-large. I used to be a size 48 waist and now I'm size 38. And I can buy clothes in ordinary stores."

The slimmed down Andrew said he loved his Saturday morning Slimming World group in Oakengates, run by Lauren Bryan.

He said: "I love how we all support each other. Whether it’s a person struggling or a person at target we all support each other with feedback and suggestions on how to better food optimise. Lauren. my slimming world consultant is absolutely brilliant. She is a massive part of my journey, and it wouldn’t have been possible without her. Her caring nature and how she takes the time to support the group and on a one and one basis is invaluable."

He said family and friends had also been huge supporters of his journey.

He said: "My sister phones me every Sunday to see how I'm getting on with my progress and would praise me and my wife has been my cheerleader throughout my journey. When I'm down she picks me back up and without her this wouldn’t have been possible. I like to think my grit, determination and will power inspired her to join slimming world. She has lost just over four stone and I couldn’t be prouder of her."