BRIAN MacFarlane had always been quite thin and fit - until he reached his 30s, when he stopped smoking, became less active and piled on the pounds.
It all came to a head when he and his family returned from a holiday in the Caribbean, having over-indulged at mealtimes. His older son and wife both decided to go on a diet - in their case, a points-based diet run by Slimming World.
"They both achieved their target and I thought to myself: 'If my 14-year-old son can do this then so can I. Just at that moment, an email came in from FFIT (Football Fans In Training) - and that was my motivation to go along to Celtic Park for their programme," says the 44-year-old. His wife Hailey used to buy treats for the children and put them in a particular cupboard. He admits he used to blame her for putting temptation in his way by buying sweets in the first place. Now, however, he admits, that he simply had no willpower.
One of the key messages he learned from FFIT was the importance of portion control. Previously, his wife and sons would have small portions and he would eat what was left - the lion's share. A bolognese sauce using a 500g pack of mince would be eaten in one sitting by all four - with Brian eating by far the largest amount. Now, they weigh their portions and freeze the remainder for another meal.
"Once Hailey saw I was going on the programme to lose weight, she was very supportive. We've completely changed as a family. We do exercise as a family and we look at what we are eating as well."
Having been 14 stone 3lbs in spring last year, he now weighs 10 stone 5lbs.
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