Brian, 69, loses a staggering TEN STONES on diet regime

The 69-year-old from Garstang has lost more than 10 stones in weight after deciding he needed to make a change so he could make the most of his retirement.

Dad-of-three Brian started dieting in 2011 when he weighed 23 stones 11lbs and in January 2013 he decided to give up booze and since then the weight has been falling off.

He now weighs 12 stone 13lb and is four pounds away from his target weight.

Brian has a number of health issues, including angina, asthma and arthritis.

Back in the late 1980s he packed in smoking after a stark warning from doctors who told him he needed to make changes to his lifestyle.

But Brian says he piled on the weight after he was given a type of steroid drug for his lungs.

He said: “In 2011 I thought I have got to do something.

“It’s more about self esteem than anything else. I wasn’t happy with the way I looked.

“I was a 50in waist and 58 to 60in chest. Now I’m a 36in waist and in medium clothes. I’ll never go back to how I was.”

Brian says his wife of 50 years Jean, 70, has been hugely supportive throughout. She started eating the same healthy meals and encouraged Brian to stick with the plan.

He also has praise for Nicola Evans who runs the Slimming World class Brian attends in Garstang.

Brian, who is the only man in the slimming class, added: “I knew I had to do something if I was going to enjoy my retirement.

“I’ve got four or five pounds to go until I reach my target, now I’m getting nearer to my target it is really hard to lose the weight.

“It is just a way of life now. I don’t crave chocolate, cream cakes and biscuits.

“The hardest thing for me was to stop the drinking.

“Once I had made my mind up that was that, I didn’t detour from it.”