A MAN who battled with mental health struggles has shared his fantastic nine weight loss journey thanks to a Newport weight loss programme.

Andrew Rowley, 37, joined the Man v Fat football weight loss programme in Newport after mental health problems started to take its toll on his weight.

When Mr Rowley joined the programme in October 2021 he weighed 27 stone, heaviest he had ever been. Now, a year-and-a-half later, he is 18.4 stone.

The father of one told the Argus how Man v Fat has helped transform his life and improve his health.

South Wales Argus:

Mr Rowley earns his 30 per cent Milestone certificate from Man V Fat in Newport. Picture: Andrew Rowley

He said: “I was suffering with depression and anxiety and would eat to feel better, I went to the highest weight I’d ever been.

“I was suffering from bad back problems and struggled to walk up the stairs and would be out of breath very easily.

“I would sometimes have weeks off work, due to my back pain getting worse and it would last for ages.

“I have struggled with my weight for years and have tried numerous diets and would fall off the wagon and gain more weight from where I started."

South Wales Argus: Andrew Rowley Andrew Rowley (Image: Andrew Rowley)

Food Mr Rowley ate before starting the Man v Fat programme. Picture: Andrew Rowley

Before joining Man v Fat in 2021, on a typical day Mr Rowley would eat a bacon roll for breakfast, a jumbo sausage with large chips and curry sauce for lunch, and a large pizza in the evening, with three sides such as garlic bread, nachos, or chicken strips, with four cookies for dessert, along with two large bars of chocolate and as many as three bags of crisps during the day.

South Wales Argus: Andrew Rowley Andrew Rowley (Image: Andrew Rowley)

Diet after joining Man V Fat weight loss programme. Picture: Andrew Bowley 

Now his typical daily diet consists of bran flakes with a yogurt for breakfast, a chicken salad in a pitta bread for lunch, and steak and chips cooked in an air fryer in the evening, along with fruit when he needs a snack.

Mr Rowley, from Abercynon, has now gone from a 4XL to an XL and has seen a vast improvement in his mental health and back pain. 

He added: “Its such a good feeling of achievement to hit a target or see a loss on the scales and now I have dropped a few clothes sizes as a result.

“My mental health is better with the support from the group.

"I was even going when I ruptured my Achilles after scoring a great goal six weeks after joining. 

“I love the family at Newport, everyone is there for each other, not just their team, but the whole community.

"There are man v fat clubs that have opened near my home, but I feel like I belong in Newport.

"I couldn't think of going anywhere else."