18st to 13st in under 2 years, this reader lets us in on their weight loss secret...

Dear JazzyPzazzy,

" I wanted to let your readers in on my story. With those who inspired me to achieve my goals, I am now becoming the inspiration to many others. Being the fat kid at school was never easy, not fitting in at P.E., not receiving attention from girls when all your mates were; or simply being too scared to go swimming with your class because you were the fattest in your year. At the end of the day, I felt side-lined. The main thing I seemed to have in common with anyone was a dream. Everyone has dreams, whether it is to be a footballer, a lawyer, or a gardener. Everyone has them. For me, I wanted to be a soldier - try explaining that when you are 18 stone. This is my story of how I transformed from an 18 stone boy, into a 13 stone man in less than two years.

It all started within a small gym in the Dundee Detachment of the Royal Marines Reserve. I had been training very lax for about a year when I got a stern talk from my uncle. “Son put in the effort, or leave and stop wasting my time”. These words reinforced that if I did not lose weight I would fail my ambition to be a British Soldier. I quickly began to pay attention, start eating properly and working hard. I pushed my body and my mind to its limit. The food I ate was simple, usually consisting of chicken, vegetable and healthy snacks. I also began to play sports more often at school and I would exercise at any opportunity. Within a month I had lost almost a stone, along with finding out that sports is a good way to de-stress! Within a year of starting to lose my weight I worked my way up to be one of the most respected members of the gym and I became known for never giving up. I represented my cadets in football and running, and I also went ahead with my army application. The female situation also changed, as I started to gain more female attention from time to time, albeit I was focused on my fitness. From here on, I practised the fitness assessments for the army and alongside the gym I would train, doing running and circuits in my own time.
By 2011 I had my army selection centre invitation and I went with the determination to smash all of the fitness tests. During selection I was credited with a good pass time, and I passed all the tests with a high score. That was three years ago. Today, I am proud to be a fit and healthy young man, who recently got engaged, and I am now on my way to achieving more great things. "

Kenny Petrie 

Kenny's top 5 tips to successfully lose weight will be revealed in tomorrow's blog. Keep a look out for them! 
Plus, if you have any stories you would like to share via this blog, please email JazzyPzazzy at: emailjasmines@googlemail.com