When it comes to weight-loss success stories, they don’t come much more inspiring than Steve Wren’s.
The 54-year-old from Tamworth, Staffordshire, has managed to lose an incredible four stone simply by following a diet consisting only of food with yellow stickers – otherwise known as ‘reduced to clear’ items.
In just over a year, Steve has transformed his life – going from 18st 7lbs and a 54-inch waist, to a slimmer 14st 7lbs and a much more manageable 40-inch waist.
Speaking about his incredible transformation, Steve revealed that he decided to change his ways after suffering a health scare.
“I’d been big all my life, but it was only when I had a heart attack four years ago that I decided I had to do something about it,” he said.
“I tried all sorts of fad diets, but they were too expensive and I couldn’t stick to them. Then, by chance, I read an article about a man who’d lost weight by only eating yellow sticker food.
“I thought it was worth a shot – after all, I had nothing to lose.”
Adopting the yellow sticker diet meant that Steve could only eat food that was reduced in price because it was close to its sell-by date.
While some people might be worried about the safety of eating food that is close to its expiry date, Steve was quick to point out that most ‘reduced to clear’ food is perfectly safe to eat – it’s just not as fresh as food that isn’t on offer.
“A lot of people are put off by the fact that yellow sticker food is close to its sell-by date, but that doesn’t mean it’s unsafe,” he explained.
“In fact, a lot of the time, the food is perfectly good – it’s just that supermarkets have to get rid of it before it hits its expiry date.
“I know some people are worried about eating food that isn’t fresh, but I’ve never had any problems.”
Of course, following a diet of yellow sticker food can be a challenge, but Steve has come up with a few handy tips to help others who might be thinking of giving it a go.
“My top tip would be to plan your meals in advance,” he said.
“I always make sure I know what I’m going to be eating for the week ahead so that I can take advantage of any yellow sticker bargains that I see.
“Another tip would be to be flexible with your meal choices – if you’re planning to have chicken for dinner but you see a yellow sticker steak that’s too good to miss, then go for it!
“And finally, don’t be afraid to experiment – you might be surprised at what you end up liking.”
Since losing the weight, Steve says he feels like a new man and is full of energy.
“I feel amazing – I have so much more energy and I’m no longer out of breath when I walk up a flight of stairs,” he said.
“My clothes are looser and I’ve dropped down two belt sizes.
“My family and friends are all really proud of me and I’ve even managed to inspire some of them to lose weight too.”
With yellow sticker food typically being 40-50% cheaper than non-reduced items, following Steve’s lead could be a great way to save money as well as shed the pounds.
So, if you’re looking to lose weight in 2020 and you’re on a tight budget, then you could do a lot worse than giving the yellow sticker diet a go. Who knows, it could just end up saving your life.
A man has revealed how he managed to lose four stone on a budget-friendly diet of ‘yellow sticker’ food only.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Darren Simpson, 34, from Birmingham explained that he used to eat around 5,000 calories a day – and as a result, he was carrying around a lot of excess weight.
However, after making some changes to his diet and lifestyle, Darren managed to shed the pounds – and he has now revealed how you can do the same.
On his website, Simpson said that he started his weight loss journey by making some ‘small but significant changes’ to his diet.
First, he cut out all processed food and started eating more fresh fruit and vegetables.
He also made sure to eat protein with every meal, as well as including healthy fats such as avocados and nuts.
In addition to making changes to his diet, Darren also started exercising more – and he says that this was crucial in helping him to lose weight.
Interestingly, Darren also made use of ‘yellow sticker’ food in his weight loss journey – and he says that this helped him to save money as well as lose weight.
For those unfamiliar with the term, ‘yellow sticker’ food refers to food that has been reduced in price because it is close to its sell-by date.
While some people may be hesitant to buy this type of food, Darren says that it is perfectly safe to eat as long as you cook it properly.
Not only that, but Darren says that buying ‘yellow sticker’ food can be a great way to save money – and it can also help you to eat a more varied diet.
So, if you’re looking to lose weight on a budget, Darren’s story is certainly one to take inspiration from.
By making some simple changes to your diet and lifestyle, you too could see amazing results – just like Darren did.
