Groutville man shares life changing weight loss journey

He fell into the dangerous rat race of modern day life and after a near death encounter, turned his health around and is now 50 kilograms lighter.

Born and raised on a local sugarcane farm, John Wilkes had an active, outdoor lifestyle which continued into early adulthood with sport being his main recreation.

Fast forward a couple of years, marriage and three children changed his focus and lifestyle.

“Business and the financial requirements of the family became the main focus, exercise was forgotten. When I changed my career from farming to transport, I realised what real stress was. No one explained how debilitating this could be.”

With the added stress came unhealthy habits.

“Getting home, the first call was the fridge where I helped myself to a beer which I finished in the shower. The next beer went down just as quickly.

“I was not an alcoholic, I was just trying to get my mind away from the stresses of the day.”

His wife raised her concerns about his behaviour and the negative effect it had on her and the children which made Wilkes think.

“I changed my tack and instead of drinking beers, I took over cooking dinner. This was most effective in getting my mind to a better place. Cooking and eating made me happy.”

The scale was not so happy though, as he started gaining weight, quickly reaching a substantial 138 kilograms.

“The weight gain, coupled with high stress made me a ticking time bomb. I had my first stroke. Praise the Lord for my complete recovery – but with the boys in high school, I threw myself into my work with renewed vigor.”

It was not long until he had a second stroke – this time it was more severe, leaving him with a droop of the mouth.

“This was a permanent reminder of my bad health and I was forced to take stock of the situation. I had allowed myself to reach a point where I had become physically and mentally inept. Something had to change – it had become a matter of survival.”

Driven to get his life back, Wilkes decided to lose weight.

“Reduced eating and the reintroduction of exercise saw me dropping from 140 to 95 kilograms.

“My waist measurement went from 44 to 34 centimetres. I knew however that the real challenge was to keep the weight off.”

Four years later, he is still maintaining his lighter weight and said he is now an advocate for looking after your health and the importance of “fitness of body and mind”.

“Statistics show that about 40 percent of our population are not just over weight – they are obese. Good health does not mean that our pressures will evaporate, but will equip us to deal with our problems more effectively.

“So go for a walk or, if you can, a run – it will clear your mind and your body will say thank you. I am in my 65th year and the best is still to come.”

If you find yourself in a similar position as Wilkes was and want to share your journey, send a mail to jbgwilkes@gmail.com

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