'I lost six stone in six months then married the woman of my dreams - here’s how'
by Dan Thompson · Manchester Evening NewsA travelling salesman lost six stone in six months - giving him the confidence to join a dating app and meet his future wife.
Gary Williams, 61, said his job took him up and down the country - so he often relied on convenience food from service stations and takeaways at meal times. At his heaviest, he weighed 15st 11lbs and struggled to squeeze into size 38in waist trousers and XL t-shirts.
However, he decided he needed to make a change aged 47 after a routine visit to his GP led him to being prescribed blood pressure medication because of his weight.
He joined a weight loss programme, swapping high-calorie meals for shakes and soups, and lost almost six stone in six months - going down to 10st 2lbs and fitting into 32in jeans and small t-shirts. In September 2010, Gary ran his first marathon and has recently completed his 21st.
After losing the weight, Gary's first marriage came to an end - but he said that shedding six stone gave him the confidence to join dating apps. He signed up to one and met Liz Williams, 61, a retired saleswoman, and the pair started dating - before they tied the knot in August 2022.
Gary, now retired, from Stone, Staffordshire, said: "A few years back my now new wife Liz and I briefly communicated on a dating app, but we let our memberships lapse and then had no way of contacting each other. But Liz was determined not to lose me.
"She remembered I’d said about being on a LighterLife YouTube video. Liz turned detective and tracked me down and the rest, as they say, is history.
"Between us, we have six grandchildren and I’m so thankful that I decided to turn my life around and become a fit and healthy person with so much zest for life."
Speaking about his poor diet when he travelled the country for work, Gary said: "Looking back, I had a poor relationship with food. I was overweight and that made me feel bad about myself and then I would eat to get over that.
"There was a lot of travelling in my job - it is very easy when you are travelling up and down the country to justify getting takeaways or buying treats. I would call at McDonald's, I would go to the shop and get a bag of five chocolate bars."
Discussing his decision to join the LighterLife weight loss programme, he added: "In those days, it was soups, shakes and bars. It was very limited and I committed to that.
"The weight came off so fast following the plan - within six months I'd lost six stone."
Gary continued: "I saw immediate results, often when people lose the weight they stop but I carried on. I have maintained the weight all these years.”
Gary told how he joined the Love Struck dating app two years after his first marriage ended - matching with Liz.
Gary said: "Annoyingly, our memberships ended and we had no way of contacting each other. On the app, I called myself running man and she tracked me down.
"We met up in the Trafford Centre, Manchester and got on really well. She is my inspiration for all I do.
"We are both retired, you would think that we would sit across from each other asking what to do but our days are filled with things we keep very active."
Gary's diet before
Breakfast: toast
Lunch: sandwiches, crisps, chocolate bar
Dinner: pie and chips
Snacks: chocolate, crisps, cakes, donuts, biscuits
Drinks: tea, coffee
Gary's diet after
Breakfast: porridge
Lunch: eggs and salad
Dinner: chicken, salmon, veg, salad, rice
Snacks: fruit
Drinks: coffee, tea, lots of water