From the sidelines to the premier league
SPECIAL FOOTY PROGRAMME KEY TO LOSS OF NINE STONES
AFTER shedding nine stones, amateur football player Joe Jensen is now proudly showing off his amazing transformation.
Since childhood, Joe had always been overweight, which became the norm for him.
Feeling embarrassed about shopping in XL clothes ranges and feeling faint after exercising, Joe soon saw his weight spiral out of control.
Stepping on the scales weighing more than 24 stones at his heaviest, he knew it was time to change his lifestyle.
The 32-year-old call centre leader said: “I didn’t think about what I would eat or drink, I just bought it and ate it.
“Despite being massively overweight, I was still moderately active but some activities when volunteering with the Scouts became more tricky and I had long since given up playing sport.
“I had to shop specialist ‘big and tall’ ranges and might as well have had shares in one well known highstreet store for bigger guys. It really limited the choice of new clothes I could get and I’d have to plan ahead by ordering online.
“For me, it was a combination of factors building up over time, having to look at 4xl clothes, the guy on the turnstile at St James’ Park making a snide remark as I squeezed through, and feeling like I was going to collapse on a work charity day.”
But it was when he saw a Man v Fat Football advert on Facebook that Joe decided to kick start his weight loss goal.
He decided to join the league and hasn’t looked back since.
He and his supportive team of 50 fat-fighting footballer have lost more than 100 stones in weight over the past year.
Players from across the region come together to play weekly matches as part of a Man v Fat football league to help reach their weight loss goal.
The league, based at St John’s Primary School in Benwell, is aimed at helping overweight men by empowering them through taking part in something that they love whilst also helping to shed those pounds.
Every week before matches the team are weighed, followed by a 30-minute game of six-aside, with extra goal bonuses awarded to teams based on the number of weight players have lost.
Joe said: “I’m not sure if it was a specifically targeted ad but if it was then it hit the bullseye – I was fat and I love football.
“I had nothing to lose. It was nerve-racking signing up for it by myself but the team were hugely supportive of each other and I think the ethos and camaraderie throughout the league is what makes it successful.
“Losing weight and improving my fitness has had a colossal impact on my life.
“I’ve achieved multiple goals – I’ve played on the hallowed turf of St James Park, I’ve run the Blaydon Race, I’ve bought normal sized clothes from normal shops and I can slip through the turnstiles at the football with finesse now.
“I’ve had so many positive comments from people that have encouraged me and I’ve used this to fuel my passion along the way, so a big shoutout to everyone who has supported me along the way.”
But as the third national lockdown has banned team sports, the programme’s organisers are now encouraging men to stay in shape during lockdown. The league has launched its new Man v Fat Challenge, which employs the same principles as the football programme using weekly challenges to motivate and inspire members. The challenges are based on three core principles: nutrition, exercise and healthy habit building.
Members earn points for their team for not only losing weight each week but also for tracking their food and exercise using their member dashboard, exercising between 90-150 minutes per week and cooking healthy calorie-controlled meals from scratch.
Participants also get full access to a virtual gym full of workouts for members to do at home.
Players can join up at https:// manvfatchallenge.com/ and they can get more information by calling 0345 163 0042 or emailing playersupport@ manvfat.com.