Miles Jermy A CAISTER man has rediscovered a love of the sporting life after finally hitting his weight problems for six.Since starting to slim down earlier this year, James Stanhope Smith found the motivation to get active again.

Miles Jermy

A CAISTER man has rediscovered a love of the sporting life after finally hitting his weight problems for six.

Since starting to slim down earlier this year, James Stanhope Smith found the motivation to get active again.

School mentor James piled on the pounds at university after suffering a back injury during a hockey match.

The 24 year old has been getting back into shape again losing four stone since joining Acle Slimming World Club in March.

He has shrunk from 17 and a half stones to 13 and a half and gone from fat to fit, taking up cricket and tchoukball during the last few months.

“I wanted to get back into sport more seriously and plan to start playing rugby again at the start of the season,” said James.

“I was quite sporty before I went to university, but injured my back in the first few weeks there and then student life took its toll.

“Being unable to do sport because of being overweight is a horrible feeling when it made a massive impact on my life before my weight increased.

“Running has been something I found almost impossible for the past three or four years, because the strain carrying weight had put on my back, and although I have never been a strong long distance runner, losing weight made it a lot easier.”

The diet also helped James improve his health, overcoming his back problem, high blood pressure and mild asthma.

He has cut down on bread, cheese and chocolate and now has a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Now it is hard to keep him out of the kitchen with mum relegated to the role of second chef.

The new toned appearance has also received the thumbs up from girlfriend Sarah, who James has been dating since university.

He said: “It's not easy to cater for an individuals' change of diet in a family of five, but they have been brilliant and supported me week after week.

“I think they are beginning to see the old James and are really great with helping me. I had half-heartedly tried to cut out the rubbish in my diet. They feel happy for me as they know I am feeling a lot happier in myself.

“My social confidence has definitely rocketed as a result of losing weight and I have become a lot more confident in the class room.”

After shrinking from a size 42 to 36 the only problem James has is finding a whole new set of clothes for his slimmed down physique.