BEING a lorry driver is tiring work, and with long hours behind the wheel it's all too easy to turn to the endless fast food options available on the road.

The job made it easy for driver Leigh Waddington to over indulge, but he knew his habits were unhealthy.

After one shift, father-of-three Leigh set down to have a sleep in a lorry park.

The 43-year-old had been out on the road driving all week – but struggled to drift off as he started to experience sharp pains in his jaw.

Leigh said he felt as though he had indigestion and also had pins and needles in his left arm.

"I managed to get back to sleep but over the next couple of days I noticed I was out of breath and felt easily exhausted.

"When I got home that weekend, I had another sharp pain in my chest and down my left arm. I googled my symptoms and saw they could be related to a cardio problem, so I decided to call 999", Leigh said.

The ambulance arrived within five minutes and medics performed an ECG on Leigh.

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He added: "They confirmed I was having a heart attack and it was likely it’d been my second heart attack that week.

"Before I knew it, I was in the ambulance with the blue light flashing on the way to the hospital. I had three stents fitted over five days."

Leigh, from Whitchurch, Shropshire, admits that he had struggled with his weight since he was 18, and said the heart attacks made him think even more about what he was eating.

“I just felt miserable", he said. I kept beating myself up and although I did think about what I was eating, because my cardiologist said I needed to change my diet.

"I was still getting takeaways. I knew deep down something had to change", he said.

After the heart attacks in February 2017, Leigh decided enough was enough.

He joined Slimming World with his sister Rachael in January 2019, managing to shift 7.5lbs in his first week and eventually shed 3 stone in just six months.

Now Leigh says he wishes he had joined Slimming World earlier and that he felt he changed 'immediately'.

Losing weight has given me a sense of freedom and a new lease of life

Leigh said: "At first, I was so surprised at the variety of food I could eat, I never feel hungry or as if I’m missing out.

"I learnt so much about myself as a slimmer too.  Being aware of my danger zones and trigger points has been crucial in helping me to lose weight. 

"I’ve found the support from the other members is so powerful too and if you have a tough week, group is the best place for advice and support."

Being on the road all the time as a HGV driver meant that Leigh had previously been spoilt for choice with the range of fast food options available to him.

But Leigh says he still enjoys his own version of 'takeaways', indulging in curries and his favourite spaghetti Bolognese.

Leigh said: "Now I batch cook at the weekends and make full use of my fridge freezer and microwave on the lorry instead of having junk food all day.

"I used to rely on takeaways and now I make Slimming World’s Fakeaways.  For me it’s about bringing things back to basics, cutting out the oil and cooking from scratch.

How I changed my meals to lose weight – without cutting out my favourites

Here Leigh reveals what he ate before he joined Slimming World and how he managed to continue to eat his favourite dishes.

BEFORE

Breakfast: Bacon roll followed by a sugary fizzy drink

Lunch: Sandwich, bag of crisps and a cake or takeaway burger while out on the road

Dinner: Takeaway

Snacks: Cakes, crisps, bars of chocolate, sweets

AFTER

Breakfast: Baked oats or fat free yogurt with fresh fruit or low-fat sausages with scrambled eggs, bacon medallions, mushrooms and tomatoes using a low-calorie cooking spray 

Lunch: Baked potato with cheese, tuna, chilli or chicken and pasta salad with boiled eggs. Omelettes with reduced fat cheese and lots of fresh vegetables

Dinner: Slimming World Bolognese made with tinned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and tomato puree with lots of vegetables and/or salad and sometimes with spiralized courgette instead of pasta

Snacks: Low fat crisps, high fibre bar, fruit 

"When I make a Bolognese now, instead of using a jar of sauce I make my own with tinned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and tomato puree and it’s delicious. I love making curries, chillis and stir frys too."

Since losing weight, Leigh says he has much more energy and has also become more active.

Leigh never used to exercise before and said on occasion he would drive just 300 yards to the shops and would never walk anywhere.

"Now I’m passionate about being active and I love hill walking in the Peak District or the Shropshire Hills", he said.

Leigh added: “I feel so proud that I’ve turned my life around by joining Slimming World and I know my kids are proud of me too.

"I see a bright future for myself now, I was always so worried about my health, I couldn’t think about anything else, especially since having the heart attacks.

"Losing weight has given me a sense of freedom and a new lease of life.”

Tina Hayward runs the Wem and Whitchurch Slimming World groups and is Leigh’s Consultant and praised Leigh for his efforts.

She said: "Leigh is a popular member of our group. Everyone loves to hear what amazing meals he’s been making each week and his hints and tips.

"I’ve seen Leigh's confidence grow and I’m so proud of his achievement.”

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