An Arlesey man inspired by his son to lose weight will be the face of a national Slimming World campaign after shedding more than eight stone.
Brendan Wren will feature on literature that will go out to every Slimming World consultant in the UK, having lost 8st 8lbs.
The 35-year-old joined the town’s Slimming World group – run by Jane Channing – in July 2015 when he 21st 8lbs and now only needs to lose an additional six pounds to reach his target weight. He says it was all for his three-year-old son Freddie.
Brendan told the Comet: “My little boy was about six months old and I realised I didn’t want to be a fat dad and not be able to do things with him.
“As he got older, I was worried he would be embarrassed by me at school. I decided to make some changes and get my head down.
“There’s obviously been some difficult times. Sometimes you think, I’ve been eating well this week and doing well in the gym, but I haven’t lost any weight, and it’s a bit demoralising.”
Brendan said his new slim build makes his work as a painter and decorator easier, and he now enjoys going to the gym – where he works with a personal trainer.
“The main thing was I was badly educated about food so once I got bit of guidance with it I pushed on and it just started coming off,” said Brendan.
Brendan joined the group with his girlfriend Charlotte Webb. She has since reached her target of losing three stone and 11 pounds, but continues to go to the class with Brendan as a target member.
This means Charlotte can go and get weighed every week free of charge, to ensure she’s maintaining her new weight.
“I don’t know how I would have done it without Charlotte,” Brendan added. “Having both of us supporting each other has made a massive difference.
“She’s been a target member for 12 months now, and people don’t realise how hard it is to maintaining it is.”
After being selected as man of the year in his group, he then went through to the national finals – a category he was in with 38 other men.
He made the top 10, but lost out to another gentlemen at that point.
However, that is when he was approached to be a part of the national campaign, along with his son Freddie, who inspired him to join Slimming World in the first place.
Slimming World consultant Jane Channing, who oversees the Arlesey and Hitchin sessions, saw Brendan and Charlotte through their weight loss journeys. She told us of the couple’s new found confidence since losing the weight. She has also been distributing the campaign posters in shops in and around Arlesey.
Jane said: “This has just changed their lives, they’re so confident now. I put his before and after pictures on the Facebook group, and all the Arlesey members where asking, ‘can you introduce me to him?’.
“They both look so much younger now and their confidence and everything is so lovely to see.”
Jane’s Slimming World groups take place on Mondays at 5.30pm and 7.30pm at the Priory School in Hitchin, and on Wednesdays at 9am and 11am at Arlesey Village Hall.
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