DIABETIC dad Kudzie Mavengano overhauled his junk food-ridden diet to ensure he would be around to watch his daughter grow up.
The 34-year-old has shed nearly two stone in as many months with the Notts County Football in the Community's Motivate programme, but he is on a mission to lose more.
The psychiatric nurse, who lives with his partner and two-year-old daughter in Hucknall, said: "At my heaviest I was 115kg (around 18 stone) and I was tired all the time.''
"I had no energy to do anything physical, all I wanted to do was veg out in front of my PlayStation."The dad-of-one's wake-up call came when he visited his diabetes doctor earlier this year and found he had put on yet another 5kg.
He said: "The doctor looked at me and said I was creating problems for myself. I have type one diabetes but I was still eating chocolate bars. I had to make the change, not just for myself but for my daughter too - I want to be around to see her grow up."
Before Mr Mavengano joined Motivate he used to eat two main meals – usually fish and chips or mounds of white rice – as well as packets of crisps and chocolate bars.
He said: "I just ate so many carbs, everything was carbs, carbs, carbs. Now I have swapped my potatoes for sweet potatoes and snack on fruit instead."
Motivate has helped Nottingham men lose nearly 268 stone in the last three years.
The free 36-week programme has seen 650 shift their excess weight – but with an estimated 37,000 obese men in the city the team is looking for more people to sign up.
The programme invites men to attend a 90-minute class once a week, including nutrition advice and group exercise. To be eligible for the free classes, men must live in Nottingham city, or be registered to a city GP, be over 18 and have a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or more.
Emma Trent, performance development manager for Notts County Football in the Community, said: ''Kudzie is a role model. and someone we are confident will hit all of his targets. He has turned up to every session and contributed during the workshops, He has pushed himself and helped push others. Because he has done so well We would like to keep him on as a champion to help motivate other people."
Sessions are at Southglade Leisure Centre on Mondays, 10am until 11.30am; Portland Centre on Tuesdays, 5.30pm to 7pm; Hadden Park, now Bluecoat Beechdale Academy, on Thursdays, 5.30pm until 7pm; and Clifton Leisure Centre on Saturdays, 10am to 11.30am.
For details call 0115 905 5896 or visit www.nottscountyfitc.org.uk/motivate
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