DRESSING up as a Turkish belly dancer while on holiday for most people wouldn't seem like a life-changing experience. However, for Great Yarmouth man Greg Driver it marked a major turning point in his life - the moment he realised he needed to lose weight.
DRESSING up as a Turkish belly dancer while on holiday for most people wouldn't seem like a life-changing experience.
However, for Great Yarmouth man Greg Driver it marked a major turning point in his life - the moment he realised he needed to lose weight.
Scantily clad photographs of security officer Greg, 48, were his inspiration to ditch a takeaway-filled diet.
“I'd been to Turkey on a cruise and got dressed up one night in a belly dancing outfit. When I looked at the photographs of the evening I thought, 'oh my God'. I felt embarrassed to think I'd let myself get like that.”
Tipping the scales at almost 20st with a 50in waist, Greg knew it was time to turn his back on kebabs and takeaways and embrace a healthier lifestyle of fruit and vegetables.
Greg, of Great Northern Close, joined Yarmouth WeightWatchers last August and has shed almost four-and-a-half stone.
He said: “Men look at WeightWatchers as if it's a ladies' meeting but it's not. I used to think like that but I couldn't have been more wrong. It has been fantastic and any man wanting to lose weight shouldn't be embarrassed or ashamed to join.”
Working 14-hour night shifts as a security officer at Northgate Hospital was Greg's diet downfall, snacking through boredom.
He said: “I never used to exercise and if I hadn't have taken action I would have just got bigger and bigger.”
Greg's waist size has trimmed to 36in and means the father-of three can now buy clothes from high street stores. He has joined a gym and snacks on healthy foods during his long night shifts, eating salads, low-fat snacks, and often prepares a vegetable stew.
Recalling his former frame Greg said: “I find it scary how big I used to be. I was a XXXL in clothes and now I'm a Large.”
On Tuesday, courtesy of Debenhams in Yarmouth, Greg - who is married to Sharon - got the chance to be star of the catwalk, trying on dozens of clothes which just under a year ago could have never imagined fitting into.
WeightWatchers group leader Amanda Sanders said the group had seven men out of about 40 members.
See next week's Mercury for a super WeightWatchers reader offer.
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