A terrified husband forced to join Slimming World by his wife has now reached their ‘Man of the Year’ finals after losing more than six stone.
Electrical company boss Lee White, 53, was “nagged” into going to his local weight loss club by his worried wife, after his blood pressure shot up. Lisa White, 50, a teaching assistant, said she didn’t want the ‘love of her life’ to die young.
And now together the devoted couple, who’ve been married 28 years, have lost a total of ten stones together. Lee from Doncaster told how he found “every excuse under the sun” not to join Slimming World.
“I was absolutely terrified about going. I told her ‘men don't go to slimming clubs, they’d go to a gym to lose weight’.
Lee and Lisa White now
Lee and Lisa White on their wedding day“I was so self-conscious that I would look a fool in this place.”
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He said his wife kept “badgering” him to go: “We even had a bit of an argument about it. In the end she said; ‘Well I’m going but will you drive me?’ and I was going to wait in the car. But when we got there we just sat outside and she was getting upset about it, saying ‘why couldn’t I come in?’
“She said she’d heard from a friend there’s a load of men in there. We sat in the car park for a good ten to 15 minutes. In the end I thought ‘I’ll just go in and I will sit at the back just to watch’. “
But he said within two seconds he “didn't feel so bad” after they chatted with the leader. “My biggest fear was you went in that room and stood on the scales and they told everyone what you weighed. But that doesn’t happen.
“So when I lost 4lb in the first week I was amazed and that was me hooked. People clap when it is announced how much you’ve lost every week, it was fabulous and one of the best feelings that you get. “
Lisa, said now she doesn’t recognise her husband any more: “I nagged him to go because I was terrified he was going to die. His friend died in 2013 aged 42 and that scared us both. He wasn’t getting any younger and with his increased weight there was a risk of heart attack, diabetes and strokes.
“When I got him outside that meeting, I was proper angry when he wouldn’t go in. I told him ‘I don’t want you to drop dead’. But now I have to admit, I wake up and think; ‘God who’s that sleeping next to me?. I don’t know if I will ever get used to this new husband. ”
Now she says she almost cries with pride as she watches him handed, certificate after certificate, at their Tickhill Slimming World meeting. And in a message to other men she said: “Just let your partner drag you in. It’s like a group of close friends all helping each other.”
Lisa, herself used to weigh 14 stone but has now dropped from a size 22 to a size eight and recently warned her hubby ‘there’s no going back’ after she raised £600 selling his old clothes at a car boot sale.
Lee who is 5ft 9in and used to weigh 18 stone 7lb, first joined Slimming World in January 2023 and now weighs 11 stone 12lb. “Weight loss has so many wins, it gives you so much confidence to interact with people,” he told The Mirror.
He says being overweight stopped him living his life; going on holiday, buying new clothes and socialising with his mates. “I used to hate going on holidays and taking my top off,” he said.
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“I used to try to stop my arms hanging over someone else’s chair on the plane with them thinking ‘I wish the fat sod would move his arms’. Even getting out of bed was a struggle because I didn't feel comfortable in tight clothes.
“Losing weight has had a massive change to my wellbeing and my personality. I used to walk past mirrors and not look in them. Now I look and smile.” Lee adds: “When I look back I feel ridiculous that I was terrified to walk into that club, it was the best decision I ever made. Without a doubt I have to thank my wife for making me do it.’
The couple’s Slimming World consultant Angela Berry said: “We’re so proud of Lee and Lisa. One of my ambitions when I started taking these meetings was for more men to come and I’m so thrilled to see that happen. ”
The day’s menu for Lee used to be three to four slices of toast in the morning with cereal and a glass of orange juice. For lunch; a Greggs large sausage roll or a couple with a bag of crisps and a bottle of normal coke.
At tea it was chips or pies or “just frozen stuff” alongside a couple of kit kats or mars bars. Then before bed more cereal. Now he has a couple of slices of brown toast with three scrambled eggs and no butter. Lunch is a small bowl of salad with pasta in and boiled eggs. Dinner is SW Lasagne or Cottage pies with swede mash, or steaks or chicken.
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