A man has lost more than 15 stone and found a new lease of life after he had to be lifted out of a tanker by a crane.
After years of fast food and takeaways, 60 year old Alwyn Thorpe was on the verge of a heart attack. His weight ballooned to 31 stone, leading to him giving up his job and later causing his family home to be repossessed as he struggled to keep up with the payments.
Alwyn, who used to be a railway worker, was humiliated when he got stuck in a fuel tanker at Procor, in Horbury Junction and had to be hoisted out by a crane. The final kick that he needed to lose the weight came when he broke a chair on holiday with friends. He joined Slimming World in September 2010.
Since then he was changed his eating habits and lifestyle and has managed to lose almost 16 stone and over 30 inches from around his waist.
Mr Thorpe said: “It was so embarrassing breaking that chair. People used to stare and snigger at my size, but they don’t do that anymore, I’m just like a normal man.
“With having to pack in work and sitting doing nothing I just ballooned – I used to love going to work, I worked all over the country.
“I feel great in myself now – I’m like a 21-year-old again.”
Mr Thorpe was named the Greatest Loser by his slimming club at Netherton Sports and Social Club and is in the running for Slimming World’s national competition.
The leader of the slimming group, Janet Curtis said: “He’s a great inspiration to everybody he helps everybody in the group.”
Mr Thorpe added: “You can eat what you want, it’s all about how you cook it – I have fish and chips, we just make it at home. I was having some really bad chest pains and Slimming World has saved my life.”