At 19 I weighed 31st and was told I’d be lucky to make it to end of the year - I lost 17st to help my sister

A loving brother lost almost 17 stone to be eligible for a donation scheme to help save his sister's life after she was diagnosed with kidney failure.

Matthew Flanagan, 24, weighed 31st 3lbs when he was 19 and was told by his doctor that he would be “lucky to make it to the end of the year”. Matthew, who spent £6,000 on takeaways in one year, says he always found it difficult to eat healthily as he had been a carer for his mum since the age of six and would eat highly processed foods.

When Matthew was informed that he wasn't a match to donate a kidney to his sister Emma, he wanted to lose weight so he could apply for a ‘kidney sharing’ scheme. The scheme allows him to donate his organ to anyone who is a match, which in turn gives Emma a greater chance of finding a match herself.

Potential donors who are obese face an increased risk of surgical complications and obesity may affect the remaining kidney function in the long term. This meant Matthew had to lose a significant amount of weight before he could be accepted, which he now has.

Now 14st 8lbs, he has signed up to the scheme and has also bought his dream car, a vintage Mini Cooper, called Victory after his grandad Victor, which he could not fit behind the steering wheel of previously.

Matthew, who works for an aviation company in Lymm, Cheshire, was awarded Slimming World’s Man of the Year after losing a whopping 16st and 9lbs.

He said: “I bumped into a friend who looked great and told me he had lost weight with Slimming World. I went on to lose another 10st 5lbs with the help of my Slimming World group – 16st 9lbs in total. I’ve found such a huge support network in my group – it really does feel like one big family.

“I love to drive Victory and reflect on just how far I’ve come. I’m the same person but I’ve unlocked a new chapter of my life now. I’m looking forward to living life to the fullest with my loved ones by my side – and if that isn’t a victory, I don’t know what is!”

Matthew's statistics:

Height: 5ft 11ins/177cm

Starting weight: 31st 3lbs/437lbs/198kg

Current weight: 14st 8lbs/204lbs/93kg

Total weight loss: 16st 9lbs/233lbs/105kg

Weight loss with Slimming World: 10st 5lbs/145lbs/65kg

Waist size before: 58ins/147cm

Waist size now: 36ins/91cm

Date joined Slimming World: September 2020

Diet before: 

Breakfast: None

Mid-morning: Pastries or a bag of crisps

Lunch: Sandwich or a takeaway meal such as pie and chips

Dinner: Frozen oven food such as chicken strips and chips or takeaway meal

Snacks: Tub of ice cream, bags of sweets, family share bags of crisps

Diet now: 

Breakfast: Home-cooked omelette made with lean ham, onions and grated cheese or scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast

Lunch: Leftovers from the night before e.g. Slimming World-style Bolognese or chilli, taken to work and warmed up

Dinner: Lean steak served with homemade sweet potato chips made with low-calorie cooking spray served with and salad

Evening: Yoghurt with meringue nests and berries, two Slimming World Hi-Fi bars, small packet of crisps or a chocolate bar