Mansfield football-based weight loss club scores 1.5 tonne landmark

MAN v FAT Football Mansfield, a weight loss programme that is centred around the beautiful game, has helped its members shed 1.5 tonnes of excess weight in the last five years.

The club, which launched in June 2021, meets every Monday evening at West Nottinghamshire College. 50 men currently take part each week, typical sessions start with players weighing in to track their progress, before they take to the pitch for 28-minute games of small-sided football.

Both a team’s total weight loss, and goals scored in matches contribute to a team’s standing in the club’s league table, with the most successful sides and individual players celebrated at the end of 14-week seasons.

MAN v FAT Football is a nationwide programme specifically for men with a BMI over 27.5, which the NHS classifies as overweight or obese.

Peter Cowen, 49, joined the MAN v FAT Football Mansfield in October 2023, weighing over 21.5 stone, which he has since reduced to 16.5 stone.

He said: “I left a previous job in Oct 2023 and moved back to Mansfield, joining MAN v FAT as I had no friends in the area. I had lived in Nottingham for the previous 20 years, which is where I had socialised and worked.

“Initially, I enjoyed the football and social sides of the programme which helped me deal with some mental health challenges I was facing after spending six months unemployed, but the weight wasn’t coming off. I hadn’t put much energy into changing what I was doing food wise, I was just relying on playing football.

“What changed things for me was one of my teammates at Flabberdeen, Joe Vincent, who had an amazing season losing 20 per cent of his body weight in less than four months through making a lot of changes to his lifestyle and approach to eating.

“I spent a bit of time talking to him, trying to find out what his secret was - I realised that I could do this too. Plus, with Flabberdeen having won the overall league and Joe winning the biggest loser and multiple awards, my competitive streak kicked in.

“Literally overnight, with the support of my wife, I made major changes to my lifestyle and attitude towards food. I started eating healthy, home cooked food the majority of the time. I fastidiously tracked my calorie intake, ensuring it didn’t exceed my food app’s recommended daily number to achieve a 0.5kg per week target weight loss. “If I did then I stopped beating myself up over it and got back on the journey straight away. Even when my weight plateaued, I continued to work hard at doing the basics right and while the weight was relatively static, I did continue to get fitter.”

Ryan James, the club’s coach, added: “I always encourage the guys to look at making gradual sustainable changes to what they are currently doing, rather than opting for a quick fix diet that they may have done previously and got short-term success from.

“The guys are so supportive of one another, the games are played in great spirit and the guys look forward to the sessions, as do I.

“Often, we will have a group chat about a topic with multiple lads getting involved in the discussion and sharing their thoughts and experiences. The community is a really welcoming one. It doesn’t matter what your footballing ability is, everyone is made to feel welcome by their team and also the club as a whole.”

There are currently more than 7,500 players at 180 MAN v FAT Football and Rugby clubs across the UK and USA. The programme was created to differ from traditional weight loss classes and combines sport with achievable weight loss goals for men.

You can find out more about MAN v FAT Football, here: