Chris's story

How much weight have you lost and how long did it take?

Currently just over 9 stone in roughly 12 months. My starting weight was 26st and I am now 16st 7lbs 229.5lbs 104.1kg.

What prompted your decision to lose weight?

Besides the obvious health issues of being obese, snoring was a big factor as it affected myself and my partner (sleep apnoea). I wanted to look and feel better too, without being uncomfortable or worn out all the time.

How did you hear about Nutracheck?

The app was one of the recommended ones on the Google Play Store. The reviews were positive as well.

Has your weight stayed fairly consistent over the years, or have you always had to manage it?

I have always struggled. I went up to about 23st at the age of 20 and lost it via Weight Watchers. I got down to about 15st, but it was unsustainable in the long run, as it did not change my understanding of food. The addition of a change in career to one mainly at a desk meant that the pounds quickly piled back on and worse.

How easy was it to fit the changes you made into your lifestyle?

The changes are easy if you actually want to lose the weight. You need to persevere with the mental aspect of considering what you eat for a time, but nothing is off the cards – if you want a beer or chocolate cake, go for it and just count the calories. The app makes it so easy as you scan things, put in a portion and it does it all for you. You do need to adjust what you eat and drink by making changes here and there, but this is all part of changing your mentality, lifestyle and habits rather than being miserable on a short-term fad diet. The big thing is the first 6st came off with no exercise and although I do get active now, it is not a requisite.

What was the most difficult thing?

The hardest thing is accepting that your old habits really do need to change. For example, I love beer but it's high in calories for what it is, and I have cut down. Instead when I go to the pub, I can have 4 spirit & diet cokes for the same calorific value as a single pint. No missing out, just making compromises. It can be hard around others who do not need to count the calories, but after a while tastes change and I don't enjoy fast food as much anymore. The other hard thing is portion size, where most people fall down – it's always more than you think when it comes to the amount of food so being vigilant is important.

How do you feel now compared to before?

Pretty much like a new person, even though I still have a weigh (haha) to go. Life is more accessible, regardless of what it is and what I do.

Any non-scale victories?

The three big ones are: I can now go into a clothes store and easily find my size on a rail. This was hard even due to my height (6'3") but now they are always in size, look good and are available. My jeans were 50" waist and I'm now getting in to a 36". T-shirts are from a 4XL to L. Secondly, I can now fit on chairs, planes and amusement rides! The most important thing though was my snoring, it is essentially gone now. Surgery was not an option due to my weight and I felt like I was being fobbed off by the GP as they said lose weight to solve it. I took their advice though and here we are, almost snore free.

What 3 tips would you give to anyone who has weight to lose?

1. Weigh everything and eat all your calories. Do not underestimate it, as you will be disappointed but do not try and speed it up by eating too few, it will just hold you back. You want to be in the right calorie zone, not under and not over.
2. You must want to lose it and I mean really want to. If you aren't serious about trying or sticking to the method, then you will struggle. Be honest with yourself throughout, if you don't then you're just letting yourself down.
3. Having an off day or weighing in with no change for the week is demoralising, but over the course of a few months it's irrelevant, keep going.