It’s not long now until our 2025 Amazing Loser fixture, to be played at Leyton Orient’s stadium and, heading down from Scotland, Alistair Harkness can’t wait to get going.
Alistair has lost seven stone with the MAN v FAT club in East Kilbride, that’s more than a fifth of his body weight. He weighed in at 27 stone 11 pounds (176.5kg) when he started in March 2024 and currently is at 20st 12lb (132.6kg).
He says he enjoys the accountability MAN v FAT gives him on his own weight loss journey.
“You get out of it what you put in and I like the fact that whilst there will be better, fitter players than you, if you do well off the pitch, you can have a massive bearing on the overall results of your team,” Alistair told manvfat.com.
“I had been fitter and a lot lighter a few times before joining MAN v FAT, and diets and exercise had been successful before, but these were when I was younger and had fewer responsibilities.
“Just before lockdown in 2020 I changed jobs, then had two children in 2020 and 2023, moved house and completed a full refurbishment of the new house. During such a busy period my own health became less of a focus and the days of going to the gym five times a week were gone. I got lazy and put on weight.”
And, says Alistair, the impact has been massive:
“I have become more involved with the group as I have become fitter on the pitch. I also finished a season as top scorer as a result of my weight loss which is good for your own morale. My mental health has improved as I get a set time on a Friday night to exercise. The step challenges have also made me realise how generally inactive I was. I now actively seek to increase my steps by walking or running at times that suit to try and ensure I am being active every day.
“I am a lot healthier and plan to continue to improve myself with the view that this will be a long-term lifestyle change that will keep me engaged through the competitive environment that the leagues bring. I would definitely recommend MAN v FAT to others.”
East Kilbride’s MAN v FAT Football club, which meets every Friday evening at Premier Soccer EK (PlaySport) on Stewartfield Way.
Figures from Obesity Action Scotland report that 72% of men living in the Lanarkshire health board area are overweight (including obesity), 34% are obese and 2% have morbid obesity To find out more about MAN v FAT Football and to locate your closest club, visit www.manvfat.com/football
