'The horrifying moment after becoming a new dad I knew I had to change'

A Bury dad who piled on the pounds after welcoming his first child has revealed how he managed to shed more than six stone in just five months.

Lee Earnshaw reached his heaviest ever weight after spending years gorging on unhealthy foods and avoiding exercise.

The 35-year-old, from Whitefield, ordered takeaways up to three times a week and felt so lethargic he often took naps during the day.

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The commissioning officer says he felt “embarrassed” about his size and found himself constantly needing to buy larger clothes.

But Lee says everything changed when he stepped on the scales and realised he weighed 21 stone – giving him the motivation he needed to turn things around for good.

“After becoming a father for the first time during Covid, I realised I hadn't done any exercise for well over nearly a year to 18 months with being stuck in the house,” he told the Manchester Evening News.

“Then, with looking after a newborn, it was just easy to not do much in my spare time. I felt embarrassed having to wear bigger and bigger clothes. I didn't feel comfortable.

“But as my son got a little older and got a lot of energy, I could feel myself getting tired throughout the day and out of breath playing with him.

“One day I thought I would weigh myself and I realised it was the heaviest I've ever been. I knew from that day that something needed to change.”

Lee decided to join a gym but struggled to get into a new routine. “I found it lonely and not very encouraging," he said. “I've always preferred the social aspect of team games and sports - then I found Man v Fat in April 2024 and haven't looked back since.”

Aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5, MAN v FAT Football has 8,200 players in more than 150 clubs across the UK.

The total amount of weight lost by players in the UK currently stands at more than 650,000lbs since it was founded in 2014.

At sessions, players are weighed before taking part in a 30-minute game of six-a-side football, with extra goal bonuses awarded to teams based on their weight loss. A teams’ total weight loss and match scores then contribute to their league position within a club.

Incredibly, through regularly attending games, Lee went on to shed more than six stone in just five months – now tipping the scales at 14st 8lbs.

“It’s all about having that right mindset and having people supporting you,” he continued.

“Within my football team, we all encourage each other and remind each other that it's a marathon and not a sprint and even the smallest loss is still a win. The support from my wife and family has also been a massive help in my journey.”

Around 8,500 men currently take part at 150 Man V Fat football clubs across the UK. The programme was created to differ from traditional weight loss classes and combines the beautiful game with achievable weight loss goals for men.

And Lee says there’s another reason his weight loss journey has been so successful – intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting is when you go for extended periods of time without eating followed by a period of eating normally. For Lee, he eats between midday and 6pm and doesn't snack in between meals.

"What really helped me was intermittent fasting,” he said. “I was only eating at the start between 12pm and 6pm and making sure I wasn't snacking in between.

“Along with the exercise of playing football twice a week, I really started to see the difference.

“Now I've lost weight, I have introduced breakfast back into my diet but still don't snack between meals. ⁠

“I feel great now; I have a lot more energy to play with my son which is what I feel has been the most important result of my weight loss.

“My relationship with food has completely changed and I no longer use food as a coping mechanism. I plan my meals and really think about what I'm eating.

“I feel more confident in myself and I cannot see myself going backwards anytime in the future. I have seen a massive positive change in my lifestyle.”

MAN v FAT Football Bury launched in April this year. Around 75 men playing at the club, which meets at Radcliffe FC’s Neuven Stadium on Tuesday evenings, have lost an incredible 550kg (over a half a tonne) of excess weight between them in just six months.

The club has partnered with Bury Council to provide free 14-week seasons to men from qualifying Bury Council postcodes, funded by the council.