Fat jibe spurs Lee to lose 10 stone in four-year weight-loss blitz
A comment made by a taxi driver inspired a man to drop half his body weight.
Lee Jamieson, aged 41, from Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, was on holiday in Dubai in 2016 with his mother and got into a taxi.
The driver made a comment that he would have to charge double fare because Lee, who weighed more than 24 stone at the time, was “the size of two passengers”.
Lee said it was at that moment he knew he had to change his lifestyle. “I didn’t really take much notice but, perhaps subconsciously, it had got to me,” he said.
“I’ve always been big, right from infant school. My attitude to being big was, ‘I’m not bothered, I’ll just buy a bigger size’, and the health implications never really concerned me.
“At that point, I was 37, bigger than ever, constantly tired, suffering with constant agonising lower back pain, which required joint injections for pain relief, and generally feeling pretty miserable.
“Seemingly out of nowhere, the lightbulb came on. I could either carry on gaining weight and suffer the consequences or do something about it.”
The Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner started out by trying several diets, but struggled to lose much weight, and realised he needed some extra help.
He joined a Weight Watchers Re-imagined (WW) workshop at Wolverhampton Swimming and Fitness Centre and found it was exactly what he needed.
“From the very first time I went to the workshop, I could just tell the support would be there when I needed it,” he said.
“There was absolutely no judgement, just encouragement for having made that first step of joining. I’d got a lot of weight to lose, so I had to commit and accept that there was no easy fix. It was going to be a long haul.”
Over the next six months, Lee dropped three and a half stone and now, nearly four years later, he has hit a healthy goal weight of 13 stone 9lbs.
He said the changes in his life have been evident since he dropped the weight in terms of food, fashion and health.
He said: “My eating has completely changed. Gone are the unhealthy grab and go lunches replaced with fresh healthy soups, sandwiches and salads.”
“I now have the confidence to wear clothes from ‘normal shops’, even slim-fit styles and I’m not embarrassed to even go in and browse.
“It’s fair to say weight loss has opened up a whole new wardrobe and I am a happier version of me and feel much better about my appearance.
“I’m no longer considered pre-diabetic and my back pain is well under control.”
Lee credits the WW tools and programmes with his weight loss and new lifestyle and has this to say to anyone thinking of trying it.
He said: “WW works if you embrace the plan and are prepared to change as no food is really off limits. You just need to think ahead.
“It’s a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, not a diet and I think the fact that I have been able to stick with it for over three and half years demonstrates how ‘liveable’ WW is.
“I don’t feel like l miss out on anything and I’m now a healthier, happier and considerably smaller version of me
