A flab-fighting father has praised the support of his community for helping him lose six stone.

After years of avoiding the gym, Keith Cousins, 52, dropped from just under 19 stone to 13 stone in only nine months of attending Harrow Leisure Centre.

The father of two began with swimming sessions at the Christchurch Avenue centre and eventually moved into the gym, incorporating some weight training in his workout with help from personal trainer Neil.

He said: “You look at yourself and you think ‘how much longer have I got on this planet?’

“I realised no one is going to do this for me, I’m going to have to do something for myself.

“I’m going to be honest, you do hit walls. Sometimes you get to a time when you can’t be bothered and you just think ‘what’s the point?’

“Losing weight is a slow process and it’s easy to be impatient.”

But Mr Cousins said the encouragement and support received at Harrow Leisure Centre made it easy to get back on track each time motivation was lacking.

He said: “Over the time I’ve been going to the gym I’ve gotten to know the guys.

“They are all very supportive. It’s a community. Everyone supports everyone.”

When Keith was awarded the regional member of the month prize, he finally felt like his hard work had paid off.

Now, motivated by his own journey to a healthier lifestyle, he hopes to inspire others to do the same and has enrolled in PT Academy to become a qualified personal trainer.

The flab-fighter has now completed gym instruction level 2, personal training level 3, personal training for GP referral level 3 and is currently studying for level 4 obesity and nutrition.