Dad loses eight stone in 10 months after ditching takeaways and taking up football and now hopes to keep fit for his son

A dad who lost more than eight stone in 10 months after returning to football and ditching takeaways said he now looks forward to kicking a ball around with his son when he’s older, and has credited the sport for improving his mental health after feeling isolated.

Chris Johnstone, 37, a finance assistant, joined the MAN v FAT weight-loss programme in February this year, after thinking he “would never play football again”, and feeling isolated after moving from Scotland to Blackpool for work.

Taking on weekly weigh-ins and football games, Chris cut out takeaways from his diet and joined a gym, which saw him drop more than eight stone in 10 months.

Now the dad-of-two says his energy levels have greatly increased, he no longer “falls asleep all the time” and is looking forward to playing a game of  football with his son when he is older.

Chris, who lives in Blackpool with his wife, Lorraine, 38, a bar worker, and their two children, Troy, 18, and Dennis, two, told PA Real Life: “I played football regularly until I was around 31 and then, after putting on weight and being out of shape, I didn’t think I would ever play again.

“I thought the group seemed like a good opportunity for me to get back into football. I was feeling isolated after moving too and it was an opportunity for me to meet other people.”

Chris first joined the men’s weight-loss group in February after spotting an advert for them online.

He said: “I found MAN v FAT through a Facebook advert and went to my first meeting a couple of weeks after. I’d never actually done a weight-loss programme before so I didn’t know what to expect.”

Aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5, MAN v FAT Football has more than 8,000 players taking part at 150 clubs across the UK where players are weighed weekly before taking part in a game of six-a-side football, with extra goal bonuses awarded to teams based on their weight loss. Weight loss and match scores then contribute to teams’ league positions.

In addition to football sessions, MAN v FAT players also receive off-the-pitch support including healthy meal recipe ideas and tips on general fitness.

It was after moving from Scotland to Blackpool in April 2022 that Chris began to consider working on his mental and physical health. after finding himself feeling “isolated”.

He added: “I didn’t know what to expect but I was surprised by how active the other men were, they were very energetic and I found the first couple of weeks really tough to keep up.

“But they’d all been in the same position as me and they were really supportive.”

Starting out weighing 19st 10lb and despite finding it difficult at first, Chris persevered and, after a couple of months, started to notice a difference in his fitness levels.

He recalled how the more weight he lost, the easier the football games became, and he started changing his lifestyle to help him get better at the sport.

While before Chris would eat four to five takeaways a week, he swapped them for smaller homecooked meals and also joined a gym.

He said: “My fitness has really improved and I find the weekly football games a lot easier as I’m not carrying around so much weight and it makes a big difference.”

Chris kept his weight-loss journey a secret from friends and family, only telling his wife about the weekly football games, and recalled how shocked they were when they noticed.

He added: “After I’d been going for a couple of months and started losing some weight, a lot of people commented and noticed that difference, which was nice.”

Since joining the programme in February Chris has dropped 8st 2lb, now weighing 11st 8lb.

Changing his lifestyle, Chris no longer has four to five takeaways a week and monitors his portion sizes in order to keep trim.

Alongside his weekly football games, Chris now also goes to the gym four to five times a week and has had to completely change his wardrobe since dropping from a size XXL to a size M-L as his clothes no longer fit him.

However, the most important change has been his energy levels while looking after his toddler.

Chris said: “Before the weight-loss, I would fall asleep all the time, I was always so tired and low on energy, but that’s completely changed now.

“I think, especially being an older dad, it’s important for me to try and keep myself fit and healthy so I can be active for longer and run around with him as he gets older.

“The support from the other members of MAN v FAT has been great too. It’s not just about physical health but mental health too and the team has opening-up sessions before the weekly games.

“I haven’t felt like I’ve needed to use it yet but it’s nice to know it’s there and it’s always an option. I’ve gone from feeling isolated to seeing people regularly and even just getting out of the house to have a kickabout has been beneficial for my mental health.”