A man who was so fat he was nicknamed ‘turtle’ by cruel schoolchildren after he fell over and couldn’t get up has shed ten stone in a year.
Tubby Dave Freeman, 59, tipped the scales at a staggering 22 stone and six pounds at his heaviest.
But he was spurred on to lose his girth after being ridiculed when he fell at the golf driving range where he works in Herne Bay, Kent, and couldn’t get back up.
Dave was mocked by cruel kids who saw him struggling to get back up – by calling him ‘turtle’.
The super-slimmer, from Canterbury, Kent, said: “I was on the floor working on one of the machines at the golf club and I couldn’t get up.
“Kids were looking at me and I thought I must look so stupid, I really ought to do something here.”
Dave swapped his boozy diet of wine and fish and chips for beans on toast and joined Slimming World – and dropped ten stone in a year.
He said: “I used to finish at the driving range at 8pm, have fish and chips or another takeaway and wash it down with some wine.
“Now I have beans on toast five days a week. I’ve stopped all alcohol and plan my meals, instead of eating at short notice.”
In the process, Dave shed almost half his body weight in just over 12 months.
He said: “I’ve got arthritis but since I’ve lost the weight it is nowhere near as painful.
“I used to play golf for years and my weight was a hindrance, but now I can hit the ball to a reasonable standard again. That is one of my inspirations to keep going.”
Dave’s brother Mike, 48, also joined Slimming World where he was initially intimidated by the all-female class.
The father-of-one said: “It was quite embarrassing and intimidating being the only bloke.
“But I found terrific support there. Everyone is very friendly and they want you to succeed.
“When I first went to the gym I lasted 90 seconds on the treadmill then I gave up.
“A year later I’m cycling every day, running and keeping fit in all sorts of ways at the gym.”
