Support and brotherly love are among the feelings members of an Ipswich sports club have felt as they have lost more than 35 stone between them so far in 2023 through playing football.
MAN v FAT Football Ipswich North encourages overweight and obese men to get fit and adopt healthy lifestyle choices.
The members meet up every Monday evening at Whitton Sports and Community Centre in Ipswich.
During 2023, members have lost 500lbs in weight, the equivalent of 35-and-a-half stone.
Warren Wrycraft, who has lost three stone, said: “The support and brotherly love from the lads is incredible.
“It was a little bit of a challenge to begin with, but once you get going, your teammates and the MAN v FAT coaches guide you and help as much as they can. It is a great way of shifting the pounds.
“I have met some amazing characters on my journey so far. My mobility and physical fitness have improved ten-fold and that has had a positive impact on my mental health too.”
Aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5, MAN v FAT Football has more than 8,000 players taking part in over 150 clubs across the UK.
Before matches, players are weighed, which is followed by a 30-minute game of six-a-side football, with extra goal bonuses awarded to teams based on their weight loss.
Weight loss and match scores then contribute to teams’ league positions within a club.
The Ipswich club’s coach, Mark Storey, was formerly a MAN v FAT player who lost 20 per cent of his starting bodyweight and now supports other men with their weight loss goals.
He said: “MAN v FAT isn’t a lose-fat-fast programme, we encourage body positivity and losing weight at a healthy, sustainable pace.
“While weight loss is the key goal for players, the programme is perfect for men who want to get back into playing football after a period of time away from the game and improve their fitness gradually.”
The club is now inviting potential new players who may wish to make a positive change to their lifestyle and have fun on the pitch.
Learn more here.
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