Newport man lost five and a half stone in six months and is now helping others do the same

Robbie White joined the Alway Slimming World group in January, weighing 17 stone. By July, he had managed to reaching his target weight of 11 and a half stone.

Mr White has now trained as a consultant and will be taking over his own group with the aim of making the sessions more appealing to men.

Mr White said he had been anxious about attending the group initially, as he thought that slimming clubs were aimed at women and assumed the focus would be on diet foods.

“I had put on a lot of weight and was having trouble sleeping,” he said. “That’s when I knew I needed to make a change.

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“A friend agreed to come along to one of the sessions with me.

“It was nice to be around people that knew what I was going through.

“With me, it was about re-establishing that relationship I could have with food rather than the one I did have, where, due to my job, I would just be eating fast, convenient food.

“I’ve tried diets before. The most I have lost before was two stone, and that was by starving for long periods.

“I’ve never eaten more than I have in this last year, it’s just about eating the right things.

“Now I’m very happy with the way I am now.”

(Robbie White after losing five and a half stone in just six months. Picture: Slimming World.)

Mr White's progress led him to be named as the Alway group's Man of the Year for 2019.

While training, Mr White said he was shocked to read that Newport is estimated to have among the highest obesity rates in Wales, according to a Parliamentary report, and he said he hopes he will able to make a difference in the local community.

Mr White’s Slimming World group will be held at St. John’s Baptist Church Hall, Oakfield Road, Handpost, Newport NP20 4LP every Monday at 5.30pm and 7.30pm from October 14.

For more information or to join Robbie’s group either pop along, call or text him on 07449 701483, or find him on Facebook at ‘Slimming World with Robbie’.