A 39st man who says he was "eating" himself to an "early grave" lost nearly half his bodyweight without jabs - by playing football once a week. George Ferreira, 26, saw his weight spiral to nearly 40 stone as he splurged out on takeaways and sugary drinks from the age of 17.
The footy-mad Londoner has gone on to shed over 18 stone in the last 21 months after a "rock bottom" moment when he broke down pitch-side after joining a team for overweight men - and was unable to keep up. Having swapped sugary drinks for water and pizzas for chicken and rice, George is now 21 stone and has gone from wearing size 68 trousers to size 44.
The Benfica and QPR fan can now walk up stairs, play six-a-side football and find clothes in his size with no hassle. George, a freelance social media manager, from North London, said: "At my worst, I was stressed, and I ate. I’m depressed, and I ate.
- Woman visits dog shelter and is floored by which breed she finds abandoned
- Royal princess accused of affair with courtier in horror scandal
"I was probably eating my way to an early grave. My family were really worried and they told me 'you’ve got to speak to a doctor'. I spoke to one and he talked about operations but the thought of being put to sleep at that weight scared me.
"There was talk of injections and I didn’t want to do them either. I thought 'if I don’t help myself here, I’m not going to be here for much longer'."
George said the "freedom" of early adult life led him to "eat without a thought". He added: "I think it was from when I was 17 and I was in sixth form of school - that freedom of 'I can go out now and I can eat what I want, when I want'.
"And around school, I remember there was a chippy, chicken shops, pizza. I ate without a thought, really."
George found charity MANvFAT Football in 2023 - but put off joining for a year as he was "daunted" by the prospect of facing up to his weight gain. He eventually plucked up the courage to show up at a session at Boreham Wood FC in March 2024.
"I remember just everything leading up to it being really daunting, even being added to the team", he continued. I think just being a big guy at that weight, I was already closed off and trying to hide myself. I was really quiet but everyone made me feel welcome at the time."
MANvFAT helps men lose weight through six-a-side matches and weekly weigh-ins, with "goals" awarded to the biggest "losers". George was dealt a shock on his first day when the scale showed 249kg - or 39.2 stone.
That was followed by his first match when he broke down after he couldn't keep up with the pace of play - but backing from coach Victor helped him to pick himself up. Since then, he has set about changing his diet with "small, smart swaps" which have helped him shift the pounds.
He said: "I usually eat one main meal a day because routine keeps me consistent. Lunch is my anchor meal - something balanced like chicken, rice and beans, salmon with salad, or a MyProtein ready meal because they are calorie controlled, taste great and remove the hassle of measuring everything."
George's life has completely changed as a result of his weight loss - with basic tasks like walking up stairs and buying clothes now seamless. On his future goals, he said: "I think at one point I’d like to try Sunday League to see if I could play a full 90-minute match.
"Next year, they’re talking about the national 'biggest loser' game where they get 11 men from the north and 11 from the south who have lost the most weight and they get a proper match at a proper stadium with former managers. That’s like a childhood dream to play at a stadium."
He continued: "I don’t think I’ll ever hit my (recommended) BMI weight. I think 85 to 90 kilos would be my sweet spot. Part of being a bigger dude is what made me who I am today. I’ve developed humour, I’m caring and kind because I’ve been that guy."
He added: "My advice for anyone else looking to make a change in their life would be that you don’t need anything dramatic. You either keep turning up or you disappear. And I chose not to disappear."
