‘I lost 10 stone by swapping out takeaways for ready meals’

A 24-stone builder who gained weight after turning to comfort food when he experienced fertility issues has lost more than 10 stone by replacing takeaways with ready meals.

Ray Richardson, from the Isle of Wight, has enjoyed playing football since he was a child, but he suffered two knee dislocations in his twenties and assumed he would never play again. Soon he became inactive.

At the same time, Ray and his wife Laura, 35, were having fertility issues, which caused him to “turn to food” for comfort. His weight went up from 17 stone to around 23 stone in three years.

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Ray, 6ft 2in, reached his heaviest weight of 24st 10lb at the start of 2024, eating around 4,500 calories each day and getting four takeaways a week. His BMI was 44.4 and he wore XXXXL clothes.

In February Ray joined Man v Fat, a football-based weight loss programme, which motivated him to shed a whopping 10st 2lb with group support, a personal trainer and a 1,700-2,000 calorie-a-day diet.

Now Ray weighs 14 st 7lb and his BMI is 26.2. He diet consists of healthy meals such as Greek yoghurt and granola for breakfast, tuna wraps for lunch and a high-protein ready meal for dinner.

Although Ray has lost weight and could potentially have a healthier sperm count, he has admitted that he doesn’t “really think about” having children anymore and has accepted that it “probably wont” happen for him and Laura.

He told PA Real Life: “It’s costing me an absolute fortune to go and buy new clothes!

“Now I can just go shopping in town and buy everyday brands … before, I had to order clothes online and they wouldn’t fit all the time.

“It’s definitely a nice feeling, to be able to buy smaller things. I’m a lot happier and confident and feel better about myself.

“My wife just eats whatever I eat and we’re both feeling better now – I weigh out everything and track it.”

Ray had been playing football since he was five years old, but at 21 he dislocated his knee and suffered the same injury again at 23. This made him feel like he “would never play football again”.

Additionally to the injuries, Ray and his wife were trying for children when he was told he had a low sperm count.

Ray explained: “We had just got married and having kids was the next step, but we couldn’t, and it was very stressful.

“We kind of realised it wasn’t going to happen for us and got on with things.”

This led him to comfort eat and he went from around 17st to 23st (146kg), in the space of three years.

He said: “It was a very hard time, I just couldn’t stop eating and turned to food.”

From then on, Ray remained at around 23st (146kg) and shifted his focus to managing local football teams instead of playing.

Ray was consuming around 4,500 calories per day and eating takeaways, such as kebabs and pizzas, up to four times a week.

By February 2024, weighing 24st 10lb (157kg) with a BMI of 44.4 classing him as obese, and wearing XXXXL clothing, Ray decided to join his local Man v Fat group.

He said: “I just didn’t care what I was eating, I was eating badly, I was feeling pretty bad about myself to be fair and just knew I had to do something and Man v Fat came up so thought I’d give it a go.”

Although he was initially nervous, Ray soon loved being back on the pitch and found it motivating to be part of a group of men with similar goals.

He said: “I just loved it, and it was a good environment too.

“To be fair, after going, I was less stressed, and it was like a blowout in the week to get it all out.”

Additionally, Ray hired a personal trainer who developed a gym plan, including one-hour cardio sessions three times a week, and provided him with a diet plan.

His new diet prioritises whole foods, with takeaways limited to just once a month.

He said: “I definitely feel like it’s a sustainable amount to be eating, and I don’t even miss having takeaways or any other junk now which really surprised me.

“It’s a lot more food than I was eating before, it’s just healthier, and I’m never hungry.”

Since joining Man v Fat, sticking to his diet, and hitting the gym regularly, Ray has been losing around 6.6lbs (3kg) per week.

Nine months later, he weighs 14st 7lb (92.4kg) and wears size large clothing.

Altogether, he has lost 10st 2lb (64.5kg) and has a BMI of 26.2, placing him in the slightly overweight category.

His loved ones are “very proud” of him, and he is confident he can maintain his weight loss by continuing his gym and Man v Fat sessions.

Reflecting on his journey, Ray says his 22-year-old self would never have believed he could achieve so much.

He said: “I would’ve said that it was never going to happen.

“I was in that mindset for a long time, but now I go to a Snap Fitness gym with a mate as well, and I’m helping him, so that’s motivating me too.

“I’m hoping to inspire others to lose weight and next year I want to be one of the ‘biggest losers’ – in Man V Fat, if you get that far, you can play a football match in a Premier League football ground.”