Buckland grandfather loses five stone thanks to council service after doctors told him he may need a gastric band

Paul Tonkins from Buckland was left concerned for his life after his doctor told him he would need to be referred to a specialist obesity service at Queen Alexandra Hospital with the possibility of a gastric band.

The now retired QA Hospital maintenance engineer weighed 28.7 stone.

But in a bid not to undergo surgery, he turned to Portsmouth City Council’s Wellbeing Service and with their support lost five stone by cycling and exercising regularly and cutting down on calories.

The 63-year-old said: ‘Before using the service my doctor was going to refer me to the specialist obesity service at QA Hospital where I'd possibly need surgery to fit a gastric band to get my weight down but I don’t need to go through this now.

‘The Wellbeing Service were amazing. One of the best things I learnt with them was portion size. I'd never really thought about this before and found out that I was having about four times as much cereal for breakfast as you're supposed to.

‘I massively reduced my drinking as I wasn't thinking about how many calories that was adding and now when I go to the darts I have diet coke.

‘I still have the occasional takeaway but don't add all the extras now like onion bhajis.’

Paul is determined to lose another four stone and said he would recommend the council’s service to anyone looking to shed a few pounds.

The grandfather-of-one said: ‘I'm 100 per cent motivated to keep following the advice given to me by the Wellbeing Service and am determined to reach my goal weight, which is another 4st.

‘I would recommend anyone else looking to lose weight in the city get in touch with the Wellbeing Service. I don’t think I would have achieved this without them.’

Councillor Matthew Winnington, cabinet member for health, wellbeing and social care at Portsmouth City Council, added: ‘Being a healthy weight is so important in helping to avoid illnesses like diabetes and heart disease and it also makes it easier to stay mobile without aches and pains.

‘I'm thrilled that Paul has been so successful and is reaping the benefits of being a healthier weight.’

To contact the service email [email protected].