“You can lose and still win”: the life-changing grassroots competition with more than one goal

It is a cold and foggy winter night. The kind of nights when most people want nothing more than to be wrapped in warmth at home.

But on the outskirts of Norwich, in the east of England, a group of about 50 men play their beloved game of football – like every Tuesday night.

The banter flows through the icy air as seven-man teams square off as the rest watch from the sidelines, applauding an impressive display of skill and calling out the odd foul.

But this is not a normal football game. This is man-to-fat football, where results are just as important off the pitch as they are on the pitch.

Man V Fat is a national organization created with the aim of encouraging people to exercise and lose weight at the same time.

It was started in Solihull in 2016 by Andrew Shanahan, who wanted to lose weight himself but was frustrated by the lack of suitable options for men like him.

The rules were simple: to participate, players had to have a BMI of 27.5 or higher, and then they were assigned to a team to play weekly matches against other teams.

However, his idea had another unique aspect: not only should goals score points, but a team’s weight loss should also be taken into account. Once members reached their goal, they earned points by maintaining a healthy weight.

Since then, Andrew has seen his initiative grow to 170 clubs across the UK with thousands of members all with the same goal of scoring goals and losing weight. Some councils now even have programs that offer a free season or subsidized membership, while members get nutritional advice and recipe ideas through WhatsApp groups so players can support each other off and on the field.

Here, Metro.co.uk speaks to five members to find out why they signed up.

“I worked up to 90 hours a week and had nothing else to do‘

‘

‘

‘

‘

from Norwich.

“I’ve always struggled with my physical health and have been overweight since school, but I’ve never really managed to get over it.

Then I went to try on a suit at my wedding in 2017 and they were not my size. I had to have a vest made to measure. I was told I could get one designed and it would go with the other guys.

However, on the wedding day itself, a patch was sewn in the middle, it was clear that it was a custom product, as the original did not fit.

It lingered for miles. This was something that should have been positive but ended up being a negative moment in my life.

The only upside is that it has spurred me on to improve my life, not only for myself but also for my wife and children.

I started the Man V Fat program as a player in 2018. I used to play soccer and when I read about the initiative I thought it would be a great way to lose some weight by doing something I enjoy.

When I joined, I was the biggest one there, but immediately everyone made it a cozy place. It was nice to see others in the same boat and share experiences with them, and it just clicked from there.

I started with 27 stone and lost 10 stone in 16 months which was just amazing and made me feel so much better. From there it became a bit of a passion and I just wanted to start helping others in the same position. Now I am a full-time Regional Manager Southeast.

Too often men don’t talk openly about our problems, but here you are part of a community, a team and you have guys who have the same goals, vision and problems. It makes the conversation much freer and more open.

It is an all-round program that supports people with their mental health and social health. At a previous club we had a 78-year-old who came every week. Losing weight was important, but the most important thing for him was the social component.

Although becoming a member was a very difficult step for me, it undoubtedly helped me change my life for the better.’