A family tragedy triggered Daniel Letch’s weight gain.

By the time he joined a Bradford Slimming World session last year Daniel tipped the scales at 25st. Fed up of the jibes and eager to build his confidence, he took the plunge, entering a predominantly female environment.

But he recalls he was soon put at ease by Slimming World consultant, Lee Naylor, who runs Friday lunchtime class at the Midland Hotel, Bradford.

“Lee has been fantastic,” says Daniel.

The 39-year-old’s life was turned upside down when his mother, Janet, and sister Hester, were killed in a car collision in September 2000, on a family day out to Filey.

Daniel, from Bradford, was a passenger in the car along with his niece who was three at the time. They survived, but Daniel was left with lasting injuries.

He broke his pelvis, suffered a fractured skull and broke his tail bone at the bottom of his spine which left him with temporary left side paralysis.

Daniel spent weeks recovering in hospital and while his injuries have now healed, it has slightly affected his memory and he can’t walk too far without feeling pain.

Dealing with his recovery and the devastating loss he suffered had a significant impact on his life and he admits he turned to comfort eating to numb the pain.

“I remember coming around in hospital and being given the news,” he says. “It was the worst thing I had ever heard. It is not something you expect.”

Daniel wasn’t expected to survive the crash. “I was revived twice on the way to hospital,” he says.

“My entire way of life ended on that same day. I had already lost my mum and sister. It was a pretty low time in my life and the weight started to go on out of control.

“Before you know where you are, you’re eating to cheer yourself up, but when you get bigger that makes you upset and you eat more.

“I like every kind of food and I had no restraint in stuffing my face all day long with pizzas, crisps, chocolate – anything I could get my hands on.”

Daniel found himself trapped in a vicious circle, but when his health started to suffer he decided it was time to take action.

Struggling to walk into town because of the pain and sweating because of his size was having an impact on his daily life.

“People in the street could be pretty cruel,” says Daniel, referring to the taunts he often heard in public. “All that put together just made me think ‘I have got to get this sorted out’.”

Daniel recalled that his mum had previously lost weight with Slimming World and he joined his local class in January last year. Since then, he has lost more than 6st by adopting a healthier eating plan.

“It isn’t like a diet; it’s the way they combine foods that makes the difference and the way you prepare foods makes a difference,” he explains.

“You see your clothes getting looser.”

Daniel has dropped eight sizes in trousers and five sizes in shirts and no longer has to shop at specialist larger size stockists.

Being able to shop in the high street is one of the many benefits losing weight has brought, and it has also allowed him to get on with his life instead of wanting to hide away.

His new found confidence has helped him to embrace life.

“I did feel when I got to my biggest weight ‘what’s the point really of even going on?’ It may sound a little corny, but I think it really saved me,” says Daniel, referring to his Slimming World experience.

Selected as last year’s Man of the Year at his group, Daniel hoped to repeat his success in this year’s competition, but was pipped to the title by fellow slimmer, Peter Blyth who lost 5st.

Peter’s weight loss fulfilled an ambition – to wear the 36in waist jeans he has kept for many years.

“I always dreamed of getting into them,” says Peter.

When Peter joined Slimming World in March last year, he weighed 18 and a half stone. By November, he had shed almost 5st.

“Before I started, I wasn’t doing any exercise or anything and I couldn’t go past a bakers without getting a pasty or a pie.”

Through Slimming World, Peter has overhauled his diet and his lifestyle, but he admits it was daunting walking through the door for his first session.

“It was a bit daunting because you are a man going into a woman’s world. I had read about men going before, but I was a bit apprehensive,” he says. “”

Says Lee: “It can be daunting for men coming into a female environment but because of Daniel and Peter’s success it makes men more comfortable coming to the group.”

Also in the running for the Man of the Year title in Lee’s group were Richard Dunbar, who has lost one stone 10lbs, Brian Moorhouse, who has lost three stones eight and Aiden Gray who has lost two stone nine.

“They are absolutely amazing. They all participate and support each other,” adds Lee.

For more information about the Midland Hotel Slimming World group, contact 07828 158120.