I use to be 18½ stone…

Me 2006 at 16½ stone, 2 stone underder my heaviest.

Strange as it might seem, but I have actually been there, I have been fat. I had a waist of 54 inches and when standing on the scales the needle always got stuck on 18½ stone. So at 18 years old I felt it was time to join the local gym with my parents.

"Now, I could go on about the fat bullying at school, the attempted suicide and the rudeness from staff members in high street clothes shops, for having a waist size bigger than their largest size and being told I was too fat to shop there, but I’m not out for sympathy so I’ll skip that and keep it brief."  

I joined a gym in 2004, where I was given a gym programme by a skinny blonde who “with the deepest respect” had never seen an inch of fat on her body in her LIFE. I worked on this programme and like most people I got bored, I didn’t see results and like every gym you join, once they have your money that’s it… they don’t want to know!! Until that is, you opt to pay £35+ for personal training.

My mum convinced me to join slimming world with her, just for support really.  “Now this is where it started”.  My first week I lost 9½ pounds, yet I seemed to be eating more … confusing as it seemed, I found it easy so I guess that’s why I kept it up.  My mum and I had a naughty night on the night of our weigh ins, “chocolate, crisps & takeaway” but gradually as time went on this died down, and became less & less of a thrill driving round to Tesco just for a treat.

After two weeks of a healthy eating plan I had already lost a stone but as most people who do diets know after rapid weight loss, its starts slowing down and becomes a pound here and a pound there. I decided enough was enough, no more naughty nights and back down the gym to find that perfect PT trainer, not someone who is nice and just says all the right things, but someone who’s passionate, truthful and above all understanding, that it isn’t easy being inside a fat body.

I found that PT trainer and after trying a few, I was 100% over the moon that I’d found the right one. Three hours of PT & a circuit class a week, plus my healthy eating I was on the right tracks. After 2½ months I’d lost 5½ stone, and went from not being able to run 1 mile to completing my 1st half marathon, it was crazy.

From losing the weight and finding confidence in myself my personal trainer gave me the passion of fitness, to give to others.

I’d like to share with you my weight loss experience and prove to you that YOU CAN DO IT, it doesn’t need to be complicated and it doesn’t need to be hard.

don’t dream the dream… Live it 

Craig Dixon



Me at 13 stone July 2009



Physique Trainer