{"id":679601,"date":"2026-01-07T09:20:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T09:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/679601\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T09:20:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T09:20:14","slug":"i-looked-at-my-gps-face-at-yet-another-appointment-and-thought-enough-time-to-get-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/679601\/","title":{"rendered":"I looked at my GP’s face at yet another appointment, and thought ‘enough, time to get help’"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘It\u2019s shocking how fast the weight creeps back on when you\u2019re not paying attention’Matt’s beloved dog, Romeo, inspired him to get fit again(Image: Handout)<\/p>\n

Get fitter, get healthier, lose some weight \u2013 it\u2019s a familiar resolution for many every New Year. Matt Foster had conquered that goal once before.<\/p>\n

Towards the end of 2024, after a big autumn push, he\u2019d hit the number he\u2019d been aiming for. \u201cI felt great \u2014 lighter on my feet, like I\u2019d finally cracked it,\u201d the 55-year-old recalls.<\/p>\n

But then, instead of a new year encouraging him to stick with his progress, 2025 wiped out his hard-won weight loss. A close friend died, and almost overnight, every good habit Matt had built just stopped.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s shocking how fast the weight creeps back on when you\u2019re not paying attention,\u201d he admits. \u201cNot dramatic binges, just a quiet slide back into old routines.\u201d By spring 2025, he had undone months of hard work.<\/p>\n

Then, Matt lost his bulldog, Romeo. Losing his beloved pet devastated Matt, but Romeo had only ever walked when he felt like it, usually towards home. It made Matt more determined to sort himself out and get healthy again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI looked at the scales, looked at my GP\u2019s face during yet another blood pressure check, and thought: right…enough…time to get help,\u201d Matt says.<\/p>\n

Matt had a new job that brought new pressures, and his setback left him struggling for willpower. But Matt did his best \u2013 he went to the gym, walked 8km a day to and from work, and was privately prescribed weight loss injections.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo shame in saying it,\u201d he says. \u201cI needed a hand with the cravings and the discipline. But medication alone wasn\u2019t going to fix my habits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt went back to Slimming World, which had been vital to his first round of weight loss in 2024. He rejoined a Manchester city centre<\/a> group, and once again, found a place that encouraged him to achieve his goals of getting healthy again.<\/p>\n

Matt went back to Slimming World(Image: Handout)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe warmth, the humour, the total lack of judgement… this is why Slimming World works,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s the only place you can admit you\u2019ve eaten half a block of cheese at 11pm and someone says, \u2018Same! Here\u2019s what I do instead.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt rediscovered planning, batch-cooking, and the pure joy of leftovers for work lunches. \u201cI learned what Quark is, again,\u201d he laughs, \u201cand even perfected a cheese sauce that doesn\u2019t split. Group discussions get very technical!\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s especially grateful for one tip: \u201cCrab sticks with soy sauce. It\u2019s like sushi, but you can enjoy it totally unlimited. Magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alongside the plan and the medication, the routine began to reshape him. He got his steps iIn, cooked properly, and went back to the gym.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stopped pretending baggy tops were a style choice,\u201d he admits. Bit by bit, the weight came off, and stayed off.<\/p>\n

Matt has now lost two and a half stone, and the difference is enormous. \u201cMy blood pressure\u2019s down without extra medication. My clothes fit again, even the trousers I\u2019d optimistically kept for five years. Colleagues say I look healthier. I feel lighter, inside and out,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, Matt has got his momentum back. \u201cSlimming World gives you that, the weekly nudge, the structure, the sense you\u2019re not doing this alone,\u201d he says. \u201cThe medication helped quieten the noise. The walking and gym made me feel strong again. But the group gave me consistency, and the plan gave me control.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Romeo would] probably be proud I\u2019m finally the one setting the pace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt lost weight at Molly and Tim\u2019s Slimming World groups in Manchester City Centre at Methodist Central Hall, Oldham<\/a> Street, M1 1JQ on Wednesdays at 5.45pm and Thursdays at 6pm. For more information, contact Molly on 07585 488172 or Tim on 07803 046320.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"‘It\u2019s shocking how fast the weight creeps back on when you\u2019re not paying attention’Matt’s beloved dog, Romeo, inspired…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":679602,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[748,34626,393,4884,105,2465,8086,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-679601","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-dieting-and-weight-loss","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-manchester","14":"tag-manchester-city-centre","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115853081260378303","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=679601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679601\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/679602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=679601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=679601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=679601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}