A 24st builder who turned to comfort eating after facing fertility issues has shed over 10st in just nine months by swapping takeaways for ready meals. Ray Richardson, 34, was an avid football player since his youth, but after two knee dislocations in his early 20s, he believed his football days were over and soon became inactive.
Adding to this, he and his wife, Laura, 35, were struggling with infertility, which led him to "turn to food" for solace, and his weight ballooned from 17st (108kg) to around 23st (146kg) in just three years. He maintained this weight for about a decade.
Standing at 6ft 2in (188cm), Ray hit his heaviest weight of 24st 10lb (157kg) at the start of 2024. At that time, he consumed around 4,500 calories a day, indulged in four takeaways a week, had a BMI of 44.4, classifying him as obese, and wore XXXXL clothing.
Since joining Man v Fat, a football-based weight loss programme, in February, he has felt motivated, shedding 10st 2lb (64.5kg) with group support, a personal trainer, and a 1,700-2,000 calorie-a-day diet. Now weighing 14st 7lb (92.4kg) with a BMI of 26.2, he enjoys foods such as Greek yoghurt and granola for breakfast, a tuna wrap for lunch, and a high-protein ready meal for dinner.
Despite his weight loss and potential increase in sperm count, Ray confessed that he doesn't "really think about" having children anymore and has accepted that it "probably won’t" happen for him and his wife.
Ray, who lives on the Isle of Wight, said: “It’s costing me an absolute fortune to go and buy new clothes! Now I can just go shopping in town and buy everyday brands … before, I had to order clothes online and they wouldn’t fit all the time.
“It’s definitely a nice feeling, to be able to buy smaller things. I’m a lot happier and confident and feel better about myself. My wife just eats whatever I eat and we’re both feeling better now – I weigh out everything and track it.”
Ray had been playing football since he was five years old, but at 21, he dislocated his knee and suffered the same injury again at 23 making him feel like he “would never play football again”. Adding to his struggles, he and his wife, Laura, were trying for children, but at 22, Ray was told he had a low sperm count.
“We had just got married and having kids was the next step, but we couldn’t, and it was very stressful,” he explained. “We kind of realised it wasn’t going to happen for us and got on with things.”
This led him to comfort eat and he went from around 17st to 23st (146kg), in the space of three years. He said: “It was a very hard time, I just couldn’t stop eating and turned to food.”
From then on, Ray remained at around 23st (146kg) and shifted his focus to managing local football teams instead of playing. Ray was consuming around 4,500 calories per day and eating takeaways, such as kebabs and pizzas, up to four times a week.
By February 2024, weighing 24st 10lb (157kg) with a BMI of 44.4 classing him as obese, and wearing XXXXL clothing, Ray decided to join his local Man v Fat group.
“I just didn’t care what I was eating, I was eating badly, I was feeling pretty bad about myself to be fair and just knew I had to do something and Man v Fat came up so thought I’d give it a go,” Ray said.
Although he was initially nervous, Ray soon loved being back on the pitch and found it motivating to be part of a group of men with similar goals.
He said: “I just loved it, and it was a good environment too. To be fair, after going, I was less stressed, and it was like a blowout in the week to get it all out.”
Alongside this, he hired a personal trainer who developed a gym plan, including one-hour cardio sessions three times a week, and provided him with a diet plan. His new diet prioritises whole foods, with takeaways limited to just once a month.
Ray now eats around 1,700 to 2,000 calories per day, with meals such as Greek yoghurt, granola and fruit for breakfast, a tuna wrap for lunch, and a calorie-controlled, high-protein microwave meal for dinner.
“I definitely feel like it’s a sustainable amount to be eating, and I don’t even miss having takeaways or any other junk now which really surprised me,” Ray said. “It’s a lot more food than I was eating before, it’s just healthier, and I’m never hungry.”
Since joining Man v Fat, sticking to his diet, and hitting the gym regularly, Ray has been losing around 6.6lbs (3kg) per week. Nine months later, he weighs 14st 7lb (92.4kg) and wears size large clothing.
Altogether, he has lost 10st 2lb (64.5kg) and has a BMI of 26.2, placing him in the slightly overweight category. His loved ones are “very proud” of him, and he is confident he can maintain his weight loss by continuing his gym and Man v Fat sessions. Reflecting on his journey, Ray says his 22-year-old self would never have believed he could achieve so much.
He said: “I would’ve said that it was never going to happen. I was in that mindset for a long time, but now I go to a Snap Fitness gym with a mate as well, and I’m helping him, so that’s motivating me too. I’m hoping to inspire others to lose weight and next year I want to be one of the ‘biggest losers’ – in Man V Fat, if you get that far, you can play a football match in a Premier League football ground.”
Looking to the future, he does not think he and his wife will have children, despite losing weight.
He said: “My sperm count has probably gone up now I’ve lost weight but we’ve sort of given up on it. To be honest, I don’t really think about it much any more.”
For more information visit www.manvfatfootball.org.