‘I spent £6,000 a year on takeaways in the West Midlands until my wife nagged me to join a slimming club’

A West Midlands dad kicked his £6,000-a-year takeaway addiction to lose six stone after his wife “nagged" him to make a change.

Bill Chana, 56, weighed 19st 7lbs and wore a size XXXL when he was at his heaviest.

The dad-of-one ate out or got a takeaway 90 per cent of the time - gorging on McDonald's breakfasts and chippy teas.

He decided to make a change after struggling to complete daily chores - such as food shopping - without getting out of breath and being diagnosed with type two diabetes, high cholesterol and asthma.

Bill's wife, Sita, 56, had been trying to convince him to join Slimming World for months and he finally decided to go along with her.

Bill reached 12st 13lbs and a size L in just eight months and now eats home cooked food and hits the gym regularly.

Bill, a business development manager from Sutton Coldfield, said: "On average I was spending £6,000 a year on takeaways including dining out and drinking beers, spirits and wines.

"It used to be 10% cooking in the house 90% eating out the house and now it’s 100% in the house.

Bill said: "I was in denial, and I thought that Slimming World was more for a female audience and not a man’s environment. 

"Every week she would tell me to join. It was constant nagging and digs to try and persuade me."

Before his transformation, Bill was eating takeaways on a daily basis as well as drinking alcohol. 

He said: "At the weekend I would eat takeaways and drink a lot of beer and wine. I was relying on fast food or a restaurant for my food.

"In my mind, I wanted to lose weight, but I never thought I could do it."

But his unhealthy habits started to impact his health.

It got so bad that Bill would scan the shop floor for an elevator instead of walking down the stairs which would take him about five minutes to do.

Bill was diagnosed with type two diabetes, high cholesterol and asthma in July 2022 and his GP told him he needed to make a change.

Bill's wife Sita, an account manager for a property company, had already been a member of Slimming World for three months before Bill joined and has lost five stone.

After his health scare Bill finally took the plunge to join his local group.

He said: "The first few months were quite astonishing. At my first weigh in, I lost eight pounds and was shocked to see that it was actually working. 

"Before I knew it 38 days later, I lost a stone and that is when adrenaline kicked in and I knew I wanted to do this 100%."

Bill ditched his unhealthy food habits for fresh homecooked food such as chicken curry and joined the gym and now goes twice a week.

He said: "By losing this weight, I was very shocked. I don’t need any medication, and I was then moved to remission. Because of the diet I didn’t have a fatty liver anymore.

"My alcohol intake now is minimal but it is important to treat yourself every now and then.

"I am now wary of what I eat when I go out. Sometimes I email the restaurant in advance to let them know how I want my food."

Bill is now feeling amazing in his new size (Waist 36 Chest 42) and says that his family say he looks unrecognisable. 

Bill said: "It happens quite frequently. My annual boiler engineer thought he had the wrong house.

"I recognise them but they either have to do a double look or just walk past me."

Bill's weigh in before and after his weight loss journey

Weight before - 19st 7lbs

Size before -   Waist 48 chest 50 

Weight now - 12st 13lbs

Size now - Waist 36  Chest 42

Bill's food intake before and after his weight loss journey

Before diet 

Breakfast – Full English fry up or MacDonald's Breakfast 

Lunch – Shop bought sandwich, crisps, coke and chocolate 

Dinner – Takeaway eg. chippy, Indian, Chinese or eat out 

Snacks – biscuits, chocolate bar, peanuts and crisps 

After diet

Breakfast – Zero oil scrammed eggs on fibre bread

Lunch – Fruit or tuna salad 

Dinner – brown pasta/chicken curry/ prawns 

Snacks – Plenty of water