Nottingham man loses four stone on local football weight loss programme

A man who has lost four stone on a football-based weight loss programme, with places funded by Nottingham City Council through city-wide healthy lifestyle provider Thriving Nottingham, has hailed it as a space where adult men can openly discuss their desire to better themselves, physically, mentally and socially.

MAN v FAT Football has two clubs in Nottingham, that are part of a nationwide weight loss programme for men with a BMI over 27.5. Players attend weekly sessions where they weigh in and play 28-minute games of small-sided football. Extra goals are awarded to teams with the greatest total weight-loss.

Both a team’s total weight loss, and goals scored in matches contribute to a team’s standing in the club’s league table.

Jacob Wakefield sustained a serious neck injury playing rugby in 2019, which meant he was unable to exercise at all for almost a year. This, coupled with the fact that when he was able to return to training, the country was in the midst of the Covid pandemic, saw his weight rise from around 16.5 stones in 2019 to 21.5 stones when he joined MAN v FAT last year.

“One of the big positives of MAN v FAT for me has been the huge spread of different people, each with their own goals and expectations,” says Jacob. 

“Some are very serious about their football and want to win on the pitch, whilst making a positive effect on their health, whilst others are very much on the opposite end of the spectrum, focusing on their weight loss journey and see the football as more of a casual, social activity. As someone who has never played football in any serious capacity, there hasn’t been too much pressure to immediately be great on the pitch. I can enjoy the games whilst learning how to play better.”

For Jacob, the nutritional element of MAN v FAT has also been crucial:

“Generally speaking, my diet had always been about "good choices", but the quantity was more of an issue. One of the tools I've built now is using better choices for "fillers" in a meal. Previously, I might have had toast for breakfast, perhaps four slices of bread,  chicken and rice for lunch, two portions of chicken breast and a full bag of microwaveable rice. And if my dinner portion wasn't sufficient for me to feel full, I would bulk it out with things like garlic bread.

Now however if I'm having toast for breakfast, I'll have one or two slices but add a banana on the side to bulk it out. For lunch I might eat half the portion previously but add some salad or vegetables with it. Dinner may be very similar. I might still have a lasagna but instead of garlic bread, I'm more likely to have something high in fibre with it like salad or broccoli.

Jacob is keen to urge others to consider MAN v FAT.

“I would recommend MAN v FAT as there are not a lot of other spaces where adult men can openly discuss their desire to better themselves, physically, mentally and socially. The coach of Nottingham MAN v FAT , Ryan James, does a fantastic job of making it a positive place where those conversations can happen organically within teams and playing groups.”

And for Jacob the impact has been clear:

“It has provided me the opportunity to make significant positive changes in my lifestyle. The support and accountability within the group has allowed me to dial in my nutrition goals, probably for the first time in my life, where I don't have to rely solely on exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I've also made positive connections with many people in the group and strong friendships within my current team. The biggest impact, though, is that by getting my diet and weight loss into a positive state I have started returning to playing rugby competitively. Rugby is my life passion and without the support from MAN v FAT, I may have never got back to a place where I felt comfortable performing on a pitch.”

MAN v FAT is one of a number of weight loss services offered via Thriving Nottingham, which also include the glojidigital weight loss programme with optional phone or group support; Slimming World, and a gloji children & family programme to get the whole family moving more and eating better.

The Nottingham North MAN v FAT club takes place every Friday from 6:15pm, at the Harvey Hadden Sports Village on Wigman Road. The Nottingham South club takes place every Monday from 7.00pm, at Rushcliffe School on Boundary Road.

There are currently more than 8,000 players at 170 MAN v FAT Football and Rugby clubs across the UK. The programme was created to differ from traditional weight loss classes and combines sport with achievable weight loss goals for men. 

Aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5, the total amount of weight lost by MAN v FAT players in the UK currently stands at over 900,000lbs.  

 In addition to football sessions, MAN v FAT players receive off-the-pitch support including healthy meal recipe ideas and tips on general fitness.  

Players also get free access to a bespoke mental health platform through MAN v FAT partners JAAQ.

You can find out more about MAN v FAT in Nottingham here:  https://thrivingnottingham.org.uk/programmes/lose-weight/