SLIMMING STAR GOES FROM 40IN WAIST TO 32IN JEANS ‘Doctor’s warning forced me to change my lifestyle’
THE diet industry might be dominated by women telling people how to lose weight but a young Glasgow man is defying the status quo by helping struggling slimmers in his own community shift the pounds.
Aidan Mowat managed to shift more than four stone in just six months and now he is helping others do the same.
At just 25, Aidan hopes to encourage more men to lead a healthy lifestyle plan.
He said: “I feel I have a bit of edge as I am one of the only young men doing this.
“I bring a bit of diversity and I have had a lot of men want to come to my class for that reason.”
At his heaviest, Aidan, from Ruchazie, weighed 18st, 4lbs thanks to a diet of takeaways and unhealthy treats.
He j oined Slimming World to lose weight for the first time after he received some life-changing news during a routine visit to the doctors with his partner Stephanie, 24.
He explained that the doctor asked himself and his partner if they planned on starting a family, and warned that they may have difficulty if they kept going the way they were.
He said: “The doctor asked us if we ever thought about having kids. We said it would be nice in the future but we had not thought about it.
“I can’t remember the exact words but the doctor said we wouldn’t have kids if we kept going the way we were. When we went home that night it got us thinking and showed us what we wanted.”
With a new motivation, Aidan started the plan again with his partner in August 2014 losing two stone. The couple, however, discovered that they were pregnant the following February and when their son Charlie, now 2, was born, they had piled the weight and then some more back on after falling away from the plan.
Aidan made a fresh start with the diet plan at the end of March, last year, and by October, he had slimmed down to his goal weight.
Aidan, who at his slimmest weighed 13st, 9lbs on the plan, said: “Since losing the weight my confidence has grown and I feel much happier as a person.
“My dream was always to buy smaller clothes instead of wearing 40in jeans. I had a goal in my mind that I wanted to wear what a normal man wears. I am now sitting in my 32in jeans.”
He added: “Once I had my son, I went back because I did not want to be Peter Griffin from Family Guy.
“I didn’t want to be the fat guy. I can’t be 25-yearsold and unable to take my son to the park because I am too tired and lazy.”
After his success, Aidan, who works for Tesco, decided he wanted to be a consultant and now he has his own class to help other slimmers lose weight.
He said: “The class started in July and I have already had a target member. One member lost one stone and 12lbs.
“That is the best part of the job when you know that you have changed someone’s life.
“It is lovely to know that someone is feeling better about themselves. If I change one person’s life for the better than I know the job is all worth it.”
Aidan wants to encourage others to get on board with the healthy lifestyle. The plan works by encouraging followers to fill up on ‘free foods’ such as fruit, vegetables and lean meats. Treats such as chocolate, alcohol and takeaways are added up through a system called syns.
Aidan said: “No matter what you weigh, if you are serious about changing your weight then I will be serious about it. If you care then I care.
“Change is possible and no dream is ever too big. People just don’t understand that you can lose weight and still eat healthy meals which keep you full.”
Aidan’s class runs every Thursday at 5.30pm and 7.30pm at the Garthamlock and Craigend East Parish Church.