A 31-year-old rugby player has lost almost 70lbs in a year after joining a football group for men. At 23.5stone, Josh Witts said he was fed up of being the 'biggest guy in the room'. Josh, from Gloucestershire, has lost over 4 and a half stone since April last year with the help of MAN v FAT. The programme was created to differ from traditional weight loss classes and combines football with achievable weight loss goals for men. Designed for overweight and obese men with a BMI of above 27.5, at a typical MAN v FAT session, players are weighed, before battling it out on the pitch where results from matches combine with a player’s individual weight loss throughout a week. Individual weight loss results and scores on the pitch then contribute to a team’s position in a club’s overall league table. Josh said: “I was fed up of being the biggest guy in the room by quite some distance a lot of the time. I used to be a very active person playing rugby three times a week and other sports and people would tell me things like 'it's a rugby build', because I was big. I stopped rugby due to an eye condition and also stopped doing the right things health-wise. I gained lots of weight after stopping rugby, but the weight meant I reached a point where I had enough of being tired and in pain due to the weight of my body. “Before starting to lose weight, my diet was very bad. It would include a lot of sweets, chocolates and crisps. I would have three takeaways a week and lots of processed oven-cooked foods like chips and pizzas. I had to do something about it and signed up for MAN v FAT Football. “I enjoy all aspects of MAN v FAT, the football side of things from a health and exercise point of view but also the weight loss aspect. From a mental and wellbeing standpoint it’s brilliant - socially, I’ve made some great friends and the people I've met through the programme inspire me. “Five weeks into my weight loss journey I dislocated my knee and was unable to exercise. Despite this, I still stuck with the diet and continued to lose weight with the help of my teammates at MAN v FAT and my loved ones. “Since starting MAN v FAT, my diet has improved. I stick to a five day/two day plan, meaning I have a low calorie diet Monday to Friday, and then enjoy whatever I was crave on the weekend. During the week I eat snack on fruit or popcorn, with something like soup for lunch. Tea could be something like chicken and vegetables. “For me dieting is a mental battle - so I try to stick to what I know works. I’ve got my confidence back. I can go out to places and not be worried I was being looked at for being so big. “It’s also great to be able to keep up with smaller and very energetic family members of mins. I feel like I can smile again. The main lesson I've learned so far is whether it's a kilo or a gram of weight lost, it's still a loss and heading in the right direction. When you’re trying to lose weight and get healthier, every small loss as a huge achievement and a win. Stay positive mentally - while trying to improve yourself physically.”