A successful poker player told how losing over three stone has helped him stay at the top of his game.
Last year, John Bousfield came third in the 2019 National Poker League run by Grosvenor Casinos.
The 43-year-old was also voted Teesside's top player by the poker playing community.
Today, he is the picture of health and enjoys a healthy diet and regular exercise.
But rewind three years and John was suffering with dangerously high blood pressure and breathlessness due to being overweight.
"The weight just seemed to come on gradually and I hadn't really thought about it," he said.
"I had bought a really expensive jacket - something I wouldn't usually buy - and when I went to try it on about 18 months later for my dad's 70th birthday, it didn't fit."
John, who runs Smithfield Timber in Middlesbrough and lives in the Whitehouse Farm area of Stockton, travels around the world with his poker hobby.
As the game involves spending long period of sitting down, John was often left feeling "sluggish", choosing quick, easy and unhealthy food options.
"I was eating fast food and take aways - just grabbing food on the go," he said.
"In the house I wasn't bad, it was during the day I'd nip into Greggs as I was passing."
It was following a health scare in 2017 that John's wife Rebecca, who is a Slimming World consultant, insisted he take action.
"At that time I had really high blood pressure," explained John.
"I was taken into hospital with sky high blood pressure of 240/120 which was off the scale.
"I had to up my medication to three tablets a day and it was still high at 140/100.
"I was struggling with my energy levels and getting out of breath. The doctor thought I might have angina and Rebecca said, 'Come on, you need to do something about it.'"
When John signed up to Slimming World in April 2017 he weighed 16st 8lb.
After losing two stone he took up regular exercise and even signed up to the Great North Run.
In September 2018, John completed the half-marathon in three hours. The following year secured a time of under two hours.
Within just 11 months John had reached his target weight of 13st and has maintained the healthy weight ever since.
John said he found it easy to follow the healthy eating plan.
"It's just getting out of bad habits and thinking differently about how you cook things," he said.
"The food I fresher and tastes just as nice. I still eat cooked breakfasts for example I just cook it in a different way.
"I still have chips but they are cooked in the oven rather than fried."
John's blood pressure has now stabilised to 130/90. And he believes his change of lifestyle thanks to Slimming World has improved, not just his health and energy levels, but also his game.
"I've been played for a few years now but I've played more since getting fit and I can think clearer," he said.
"It definitely has helped the mind as well as the body.
"Losing the weight as the plan encourages you to stick to a healthier lifestyle.
"So you look at all aspects of what you do and your habits and then that helps you in other aspects of your life - for me fitness and poker.
"And this brings more confidence in achieving things."
He still follows the plan and attends the group sessions and enjoys cooking meals for Rebecca and their five children such as fajitas, spaghetti bolognese and steak.
And his success has even inspired other poker players from around the world to sign up to the Slimming World plan.
John's wife Rebecca runs Slimming World sessions at St Patricks Church Hall in Fairfield every Tuesday at 9.30am, 11.30am, 5.30pm and 7.30pm.
For more information call her on 07710 830165.
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