Man dubbed 'The Human doughnut' loses over 20 stone in order to regain his life.

When Rob Gillett, from Bridgend, tipped the scales at 41 stone 10lbs, he knew that if he didn't lose weight soon, his life would be in grave danger. At just 25 years old, his BMI was a staggering 104 (the healthy range is between 18-25), and doctors were becoming increasingly concerned about his health. However two years on, Rob has turned his life around by losing more than 20 stone through the LighterLife programme. His weight is now an incredible 12 stone 9lbs.

ROB BEFORE – 41 STONE 10LBS (May 2012)

pictures below*

ROB AFTER – 12 STONE 9LBS (January 2014)

Rob first hit the headlines in March 2012 after appearing on the popular Channel 4 programme ‘Supersize vs. Superskinny’. With a height of 5ft 3in and a waist measuring in at 6ft 6in, Rob was nicknamed by the media ‘The Human Doughnut’. Rob says: “I wanted to do Supersize as I thought that it could help me deal with my weight, however, I just felt humiliated at the media headlines. The attention I got from the show was just horrendous at times too. Somebody sent me a big box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and put jagged pieces of metal in them. The police never caught the person who sent the box, but needless to say my family and myself were distraught. I know that I was the person putting food into my mouth, but the reality is that food was not the issue; I was battling with underlying, deep-seated problems and I was using food to dull the pain. I felt the show really didn't help at all, and I ended up putting on the four stone I lost quickly after filming stopped.”

Sadly for Rob, there were darker factors behind his weight gain, which started at the age of eight when he suffered different types of abuse. Rob comments: “I was a healthy, happy child up until the abuse started. It went on until I left school and included every type of abuse. It was horrific and something that I am only just coming to terms with. I don't want to make excuses, but I know that my issues with food are directly linked to these events. If I had not turned to food, I would probably have used drugs or alcohol.”

His teenage years were marked by a sharp increase in weight (he gained around two stone each year) and it was causing havoc with his health; he experienced his first TIA (transient ischaemic attack), also known as a mini-stroke, at just 17, and his sleep apnoea was so bad that life-saving machinery could not control it. Rob says: “I know people will be shocked by how much weight I put on, but it was the only way I knew how to deal with my emotional issues. I look back now, and can’t believe that I put my life in so much danger. The sleep apnoea was terrifying and the reality is I could have died at any time.”

At his heaviest Rob was almost housebound and he:
- Was unable to drive because his stomach got in the way
- Used to have to get a taxi to take him down the road, to get to the bus stop
- Had to have flight attendants provide him with a bucket on a plane as he couldn't use the toilet
- Couldn’t use the bath or shower in his house, having to wash at his grandparents each week
- Lost nearly all his teeth from having weak gums

After reaching more than 40 stone, and his bad experiences with TV hindering his weight loss, he turned to LighterLife and local LighterLife Counsellor Claire Warren for help. Rob says: “I knew I had to do something about my weight, and had seen people like Pauline Quirke lose weight on LighterLife and thought it could work for me. I had tried so many diets in the past that I was sceptical it could work, but it was like a light bulb came on for me when I went to my first session. For the first time I was on a weight loss programme that tackled the emotional issues of eating, and it allowed me to see why I was basically eating myself to death.”

LighterLife is a unique weight loss and weight management programme, in that it combines a very low calorie diet (VLCD) with group support and CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and TA (transactional analysis) techniques, which helps people get to the root cause of their weight issues and learn the skills to manage their weight in the long-term.

Rob comments: “Taking the decision to lose weight wasn't easy as I knew I had to tackle my demons, and still can’t believe I have lost the same amount of weight as two grown men! I have a new lease of life now. I ran a 10k race, do Nordic walking and have a personal trainer.

“The support I have received from the general public has been incredible too. So many people have been staggered by how much weight I have lost. It’s not uncommon for people to recognise me in Cardiff from Supersize vs Superskinny and be shocked when they realise I have lost 28 stone!

“The best thing about losing weight is that I can hopefully inspire others and make them realise that it’s possible to lose weight with the right support.”

Claire Warren, LighterLife counsellor for Bridgend says: “Rob has worked so hard to lose weight and he is a real inspiration. We have worked together for more than 17 months and I have been so impressed with his commitment to the LighterLife programme. He has seen this whole experience as a real opportunity for change, and has been a huge support to all the other men in his group sessions.

“The best thing for me is seeing Rob turn into a confident and assertive young man, who is taking enjoyment in life. Rob really is finally having the chance to live the teenage years that he missed out on and build a better, healthier future for himself.”

For media enquiries please contact the team at PHA Media:
Lauren Felber – LaurenF@pha-media.com / 020 70251356
Tanya Mehmet – TanyaM@pha-media.com / 020 74400785

Notes to Editors
• Pictures to support this story are available on request.
• LighterLife helps people achieve safe and fast weight loss through the combination of a nutritionally complete very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) or low-calorie diet (LCD) and a unique behaviour-change counselling progamme to achieve sustained weight management, complying with the recommendations of NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).
• Participants must be 18 or over.
• LighterLife Total is a VLCD consisting of four Foodpacks – nutritionally complete soups, shakes or bars – per day and abstinence from conventional food, combined with weekly sessions with a LighterLife Counsellor.
• The four Foodpacks provide a daily average of 500-600 kcal and 15.9g fat, a minimum of 50g protein and 50g carbohydrate, 0-17g fibre and at least 100% recommended daily allowances (RDAs) for key vitamins and minerals.
• LighterLife Lite consists of three Foodpacks a day and a calorie-controlled meal, combined with weekly sessions with a LighterLife Counsellor.
• LighterLife Fast is an intermittent-fasting programme suitable for people with a BMI of 20+. Lose a few pounds or maintain a healthy weight and ensure you get full nutrition with our Foodpacks on fasting days.
• Once an individual reaches their weight-loss goal, the LighterLife Management programme is there to help them maintain their weight loss through long-term lifestyle change.
• For more information on LighterLife, please visit www.lighterlife.com