44-year-old father of two Paul Strick from Stoke, has a new lease of life after losing four stone in just four months. It’s the most successful weight loss Paul has achieved in over 20 years of dieting, and he’s confident he can lose even more with the continued support from the Bodyline Clinic.

 “I know I have a long way to go before I get to my target weight but I’m off to a great start!”

 Paul has struggled to control his weight for over twenty years. He fell into the habit of eating too much of the wrong foods when he was young and active, and with every pound of weight he put on over the years, he would grow miserable and comfort eat to make himself feel better. Despite trying every fad diet and slimming club out there Paul never managed to break the weight gain cycle.

 “In my late teens and early twenties, I was a very active person and was always in the gym and I kept the weight off.  When I was twenty-one, I joined the RAF. Training was intense and the diet was quite high in calories, fats and sugars.  During my technical training, I started to develop a problem with one of my knees and I wasn’t allowed to do a lot of the physical activities that everyone else was doing. However, my diet remained the same as we would all eat together, and as a result, my weight shot up. My RAF career was sadly cut short after nine years due to my knee injury, and I never really fully recovered. I left the RAF four stone heavier than I joined.”

 At his heaviest Paul, who is 5 ft 6, weighed over 20 stone, causing him to feel miserable on a daily basis. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t change his eating habits and shift the weight.

 “Since 2006, my weight has really fluctuated, and I’ve been on and off diets and healthy eating plans. I would only stick at them for so long before my weight loss would come to a halt and I’d get frustrated and stop. My old eating habits would slowly creep back in, and I would put the weight back on plus a bit more. With all the effort of yo-yo dieting, all I managed to do was gain another four stone.”

Paul’s weight gain started to impact all aspects of his life, causing him low self-esteem and physical pain. He grew defeatist and resigned himself to the fact he would be overweight for the rest of his life.

“Over the years I had sadly come to think that I was always going to be big because I just couldn’t shift the weight.”

 It took an accident earlier in the year to provide Paul with the catalyst for change.

 “During the summer I was supposed to be attending a training course on a university campus. On the first morning, on the short walk from the carpark I slipped and fell hard on the ground. Imagine 20 stone plus the weight of a rucksack slamming down onto one part of your body. Feeling a popping sensation and a lot of pain in my knee, I was just lay there in the pouring rain with no one there to help me. I felt completely helpless, which is something that I’ve never felt before, and didn’t want to experience again. I managed to get myself onto my feet again and hobbled to the training center. Later that day, after hours of agony, I went to A&E to get my knee checked. It was at this point that I realised I had to do something drastic – not only for my own health and well-being but for the sake of my family. I knew that if I went to the same slimming clubs as I had done before, history would only be repeating itself. One day, I sat down and was brutally honest with myself about why I could only get so far when I tried to lose weight. It wasn’t what I was eating, it was my portion sizes that were letting me down, and I realised that controlling what I ate when I was hungry had always been a struggle. Eating too much of a good thing is still eating too much. I had heard of appetite suppressants before, and after some research online, I found Bodyline’s local clinic in Stoke.”

 Bodyline Clinic offers doctor and nurse led programmes including diet, exercise and nutrition plans alongside the use of fully licensed prescription weight-loss medication. Bodyline supports men and women on long-term weight management through personalised programmes to suit individual’s lifestyles and weight.

“I booked myself in for a consultation with no preconceptions of what it would be like. When I arrived, the staff were very friendly and welcoming. I was shown into a private room by a nurse where I was weighed, measured and had my blood pressure taken before she went through my medical history – it was reassuring to know that the process was so thorough.”

Alongside educating Paul on the benefits of eating small, nutritious meals often across a day, he was prescribed Phentermine, which is a well-known and safe slimming pill that helps weight loss in an efficient and controlled manner. It’s only available on prescription from qualified clinicians, in a CQC regulated clinic such as Bodyline. Phentermine acts by suppressing hunger levels and controlling common cravings for unhealthy foods. It was just what Paul needed to kickstart his body transformation.

“The nurse took time to go through each medication before prescribing me Phentermine, explaining how it worked and when best to take them. I knew I was in good hands and it was a safe space to voice any concerns that I had about keeping to a calorie counted diet.  There was an emphasis on ensuring that I did eat at regular mealtimes and she advised on how many calories I need to consume to ensure a healthy weight loss. I was quite sceptical when I returned after my first week – it just seemed too easy. To my astonishment, I had lost 12 and a quarter pounds in the first week!”

Inspired by the dramatic results, and the ease of Bodyline’s weight loss plan, Paul has continued visiting Bodyline each week for four months and intends to stick with it. Alongside the physical weight loss, the new diet regime has made Paul feel healthier too.

“From the very beginning it’s been so easy to stick to my new healthy plan. I don’t feel hungry in between meals so I have complete control of what I eat and when. I’ve also noticed that I’m drinking a lot more water which I’m sure in turn has helped my weight loss even further and made me feel a lot healthier in general.”

Looking ahead to a new decade, Paul feels more confident and in control.

“Four months on and I’ve lost four stone. I feel much better about myself; old clothes are starting to fit me again and people are commenting that they can notice the difference.  I know I have a long way to go before I get to my target weight but I’m off to a great start! I’ve already lost more weight than when I’ve tried before, so now I’m even more determined to reach my target.