27 year old Aaron Snares has lost more than 16st 4lbs and been named Slimming World’s Mr Sleek 2020. Aaron, who is a work-place coordinator from London, had been overweight since childhood and was bullied throughout his school years because of his size.
His weight continued to rise once Aaron started earning his own money and going on nights out. He says: “Once I left school I had quite a decent job, so I had money to spend on fast food and takeaways. Of course, this coincided with being old enough to go out drinking – so my weight just went up and up. I remember being on a lads’ holiday and feeling really uncomfortable on the flight over and while I was there. In fact, I ended up breaking three sun loungers in one day because of my size – they just couldn’t bear my weight.”
It was a family wedding which really spurred Aaron into action. He says: “My sister got engaged and asked me if I’d like to be best man. As soon as she asked me, I just had this sinking feeling because I knew I couldn’t do it. It wasn’t just feeling nervous about giving a speech or being centre of attention either. I knew it would mean wearing the same suit as everyone else, and that I’d never fit into standard sizes. In the end I decided I couldn’t be the best man, but I agreed to wear the same suit as the rest of the bridal party. My worst fears were realised at the fitting – the suit had to be custom made and took ages to get here. I spent the whole day pulling my shirt down and generally feeling uncomfortable.”
It was Aaron’s best friend – his nan – who plucked up the courage to speak to Aaron about his weight and encourage him to do something about it. He says: “My nan was like my best friend. At the wedding she saw how unhappy I was and spoke to me about my weight. She said she just wanted me to be healthy and happy. She had terminal cancer at the time so for her to be the one worrying about me really hit home. A few months later I joined Slimming World and I haven’t looked back since.”
Although he was nervous about walking through the doors of his Slimming World group for the first time, Aaron was struck by all the warmth and support he received from his fellow members. He said: “I’d contacted my Slimming World Consultant Georgina in advance to let her know I was coming, but once I got to the car park I just froze and felt like I couldn’t go in. I texted Georgina from the car to say I couldn’t do it – but after a little encouragement I did manage to step through those doors. Georgina was just so friendly and knowing she knew how it felt to be overweight was really comforting. I was really worried about being the only man in group – and even though I was – it didn’t matter at all. My group is like a second family to me now.”
Aaron soon got to grips with Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan, which encourages slimmers to learn to cook and enjoy meals using everyday foods like potatoes, rice, pasta, lean meat, fruit and vegetables so you never feel hungry or deprived.
Sharing and learning about delicious new recipes is an important part of group and staying motivated. He said: “I knew that I needed to find a plan which still allowed me to eat, after all – I love food! Slimming World just felt perfect in that sense because I could still enjoy all of my favourites and discover tasty new meals, I just had to prepare them in a different way – like swapping oil for low-calorie cooking spray.”
And since losing weight Aaron has also re-discovered a passion for exercise. He says: “Slimming World’s Body Magic programme allowed me to exercise in a way that didn’t feel intimidating at all – I started off small and just built myself up. Before I gained a lot of my weight I was a keen footballer – but as my weight grew I just couldn’t keep up anymore. These days I’m back on the pitch and it feels great! I’ve even found the confidence to go swimming which is a huge deal for me as I never liked to be seen without a shirt on. I’m just keen to give anything a go now – I even had a skiing lesson last week and that’s something I never would have considered before.”
And there’s another ambition Aaron has realised since losing weight, meeting his new girlfriend, Lucy. He says: “When I was bigger, I just didn’t have any confidence so approaching anyone that I liked was a big no-no. Since losing weight though I’ve met Lucy and we hope to settle down and get a house together and even start a family one day. It’s the kind of happily ever after I never thought I’d have when I was at my biggest. My only regret is that I didn’t join Slimming World sooner. Unfortunately, my nan passed away a few weeks after I joined. I did manage to take my one stone certificate into the hospice to show her though, and you could see how proud she was. I hope she knows I’ve achieved all of this because of her.”
