When Peter Gray’s dentist told him he was too heavy to sit in the chair to get a filling, the Fife man decided to do something about it.
The 49-year-old from Dunfermline had learned that he couldn’t have a filling placed because the dentist’s chair wouldn’t be able to take his 33 stone weight.
A month after that wake-up call, Peter joined Slimming World.
That was in September 2022 and, since then, the proud pug owner has gone on to lose an incredible 12 stone over 15 months.
“I had been at my dentist initially for a check up but had to go back to get a filling done,” Peter explained.
“But before I went, he phoned me and explained to me in a really caring and sensitive way, that he would be unable to place the filling because my weight was too heavy for the dentist’s chair.
“He explained the chairs have certain weight restrictions and that because of my weight, he wouldn’t be able to carry out the work safely.
“It was this which made me realise just how big I was and the impact my weight was having.
“So I then joined Slimming World and haven’t looked back.”
What kinds of food did Peter used to eat?
Peter hadn’t weighed himself for years so didn’t realise just how heavy he was.
The financial crime analyst admits he has always been heavy, clocking in at over 20 stone, but said it was during the Covid-19 lockdowns that he piled on the pounds.
“During the pandemic I would have takeaways on speed dial,” he confessed.
“It would be pizza one night then a Chinese or Indian takeaway the next night and so on.
“And when the drive-thru’s re-opened, we would be like: ‘Oh McDonald’s is just across the road, let’s go there.’
“It was unhealthy eating and eating things which were doing me no good whatsoever.”
Peter also admits that he would eat a lot of chocolate, especially over the Christmas period.
“I would quite happily buy a tub of Quality Street, open it and eat all of it myself in one night.
“When you realise how many calories are in that whole tub, you realise how shocking that is.”
Before joining Slimming World, Peter would go into the office with sandwiches he intended to have for lunch, but instead would usually eat them by 10am.
He would then head to the canteen to buy something else to eat and he would also drink a lot of full fat Coke.
While for lunch he would have soup with four slices of bread with cold meat and coleslaw too.
He said that unhealthy pattern got even worse during lockdown: “During the pandemic I was sitting around a lot and just eating.
“That just made problem with my weight worse.”
Walking into his Dunfermline slimming group
Peter was very nervous about walking into his local Slimming World group in Townhill Bowling Club, Dunfermline in October 2022.
But he said the Slimming World ‘consultant’ Glen Davidson was on hand to welcome him along with other members, easing any worries he had.
“My consultant Glen has been phenomenal – I can’t sing his praises highly enough.
“The people who go to the group are really nice too.”
Peter said he found it easy to follow the weight-loss plan.
“I am able to eat things like homemade spaghetti bolognese, chicken with vegetables and big rump steaks with baked potatoes and they completely fill me up.
“Not only was I eating meals I had made from scratch, which were good for me, but they were also satisfying my appetite.”
What foods does Peter eat on his weight-loss plan?
As part of his food plan, Peter will typically have melon and strawberries for breakfast.
And to drink he has a Coke Zero rather than tea or coffee.
For lunch, he will typically have a baked potato with baked beans and some cheese or a tin of chicken noodle or lentil soup with two slices of wholemeal toast with ham.
Afterwards, he will have some grapes. For dinner he will have either chicken with vegetables.
Or he will have steak or pork loins with the fat cut off, fried onions and mushrooms and a baked potato.
Peter doesn’t drink alcohol so would tend to have another Coke Zero with dinner.
“I used to love eating chocolate but to be honest now I can take it or leave it. Over the festive season there I didn’t have any – it was my first chocolate-free Christmas.”
The weight started falling off
Peter started off weighing 33 stone, 5lbs and by the third week on the plan, he had lost a stone in weight.
The pounds then started falling off gradually, at a rate of two to three pounds per week.
His initial target was to get down to 28 stone, so he would be able to go back to the dentist, and he achieved that after four months.
“[The dentist] was shocked at the weight I had lost.
“And he can see how much I am continuing to lose every time go back!”
As well as changing his eating habits, Peter now goes on more walks with pug Daisy.
“We had another pug Braidy but I didn’t take him for as many walks during the pandemic and he was quite happy to just snuggle in,” Peter said
“But he passed away in January last year and we then got Daisy at the end of February last year.
“She is like a lightening rod and wants to go out on walks all the time so we are out several times a day at least.”
Support from husband Stuart
Husband Stuart, 50, has supported Peter through his weight-loss journey. The couple have been together for 23 years.
“Stuart is really happy that I have done this because he was always concerned about my weight.
“He wants to lose weight as well so he has been having the same meals as me.
“It has been good to have his support and we have both helped each other.”
He added: “The only negative thing for Stuart is that I am now pinching his clothes!”
Peter’s new weight-loss target
Peter now clocks in at 21 stone 5lbs and he plans to keep going until he reaches half of his starting weight.
“I am planning to keep losing more weight and 16 stone is my target.
“The main focus I have for this is turning 50 at the end of this year,” he said.
“I don’t want to reach that age and be immobile, I want to be fit and healthy so I can do things.
“It feels great to be able to do things now I wasn’t able to before. The weight-loss has had such a big impact – it has changed my life.”
Conversation