Neil Ferguson

Neil before

On 27th September 2010 I celebrated my 50th birthday. My three children all bought me a very special present to celebrate this milestone in my life – a lifelong ambition to skydive. Because I live in South Africa and my children live in the UK the skydive was booked to take place in January 2011 when they would all be in South Africa on holiday.

When this present was given to me my children told me that there was a weight limit of 100kgs and so I was given advance warning of the need to be lighter than I was. Despite my best efforts, instead of losing weight I actually gained weight and I saw my weight balloon to a ridiculous 110kgs. My weight gain was due to three factors: 1) My excessive alcohol intake (I was drinking every day), 2) my huge portion sizes and 3) my lack of daily exercise. Inevitably I became too heavy to participate in the skydive and so the once in a lifetime opportunity of having my 3 children all together with me in South Africa to witness me fulfil this lifelong ambition was lost forever. I was left feeling embarrassed and extremely humiliated at my loss of control over my weight which was rapidly spiralling out of control.

In February 2011 a friend of mine in the UK started his journey on the Cambridge diet and over the following four months he lost an incredible 28.5kgs. His story became an inspiration to me and so out of desperation I asked him what his ‘secret’ was. After a discussion by telephone I was totally sold on the idea of starting the Cambridge weight loss programme and so I booked an appointment with Cheryl Bradshaw to find out more about this programme. From the moment I met Cheryl I knew that we would get along – and this was important to me. Cheryl’s story astonished me and to see how much weight she herself had lost on the Cambridge weight loss programme, coupled with how well she now looked was very impactive to me. I signed up on 3rd May 2011 and little did I know it then but this was to be a huge turning point in my life and one I will remember forever – no doubt about that.

My weight loss since the day I started the Cambridge diet has been amazing and I still find it difficult to comprehend just how far I have come in such a short period of time. All along my quick and short journey Cheryl has been there for me – offering her advice and support at every step of the way. To see Cheryl’s smile and congratulate me on my weight loss at my weekly weigh-ins was the added boost that I needed and her encouragement has been inspirational to me. I am so grateful for all the support and encouragement I have received from Cheryl and this has undoubtedly made my journey a far more pleasant one.

Here I am 7 weeks later – literally a different person. I now look at food and alcohol consumption in a totally different manner and I can see exactly just how out of control I had become. My outlook now is very promising indeed and I am totally focussed in reaching my target weight which is a mere 1 kg away. I am back exercising daily at the gym and my routine has become second nature to me now. After reaching my goal I will embark on a lifestyle for the rest of my life that will see me retain my slim line figure and who knows, this summer I may even be sporting my beachwear for all to see! Oh and the skydive is very much back on the agenda – once I can afford to go back to the UK where my three children can all witness me fulfilling this lifelong ambition.

Neil Ferguson