A WREXHAM entrepreneur who shed 10 stone has invested £1million into creating an App to help others do the same.

Benjamin Jay Smith, 37, who once tipped the scales at over 22 stone and had a 52 inch waist, has created the Fine Diet Plan, a pioneering fat busting plan which – uniquely - only counts weekly calories.

Before his transformation, Ben's calorie busting daily diet consisted of large amounts of fast food, such as burgers and pizza's and he would gorge on crisps and chocolate as he waited for three cottage pies to cook for his dinner.

The Leader:

Ben Smith pictured before his weight loss

Ben said: “I was so fat that I couldn’t put my socks on or go upstairs. It was embarrassing. I felt like a pudding.

“I’ve always been an emotional binge eater. I was addicted to food – high calorie pizzas were my downfall – and was regularly eating triple the recommended daily allowance.

“I hated looking at myself in a mirror, was embarrassed about my size and felt depressed."

Over three weeks, the App calculates information about the user in order to work out their individualised calorie requirements as accurately as possible.

This information allows the team to calculate the user’s Basal Metabolic Rate and, when combined with their occupation and activity levels, works out their optimum calorie intake for weight loss.

Videos posted online show Ben’s transformation from being a 22-plus stone man with a 52-inch waist, unable to put his own socks on because he was so overweight, to becoming a trim 12 stone six months later with a 32-inch waist.

The Leader:

Ben Smith after the weight loss

He added: “I decided I had to lose weight when my wife Cara was ill with Lipoedema and needed an urgent operation.

“I had to be strong for her. So I changed my focus to only eating food when my body needed it and I cut right back on my high calorie diet. I started to exercise and taught myself about nutrition.

“I realised that it’s so old hat to count daily calories, which is why I used my experience to create the Fine Diet Plan. On it, it’s fine to eat whatever you want – all the foods you love – and still lose weight. It’s all about nailing your maintenance calories – and everyone is different.

“I’m hoping that what I’ve learnt will help others to lose weight and could even tackle the obesity epidemic.”

The Fine Diet Plan has been endorsed by UK registered dietitian Jennifer Thawley as “a safe and effective long-term weight loss solution for people aged between 18 and 70.”

Jennifer also said: “The Fine Diet Plan aims to take a more holistic approach to living a healthier lifestyle by recognising the importance of individual goal setting and support from an online community for its users, in order to make their journey more enjoyable and sustainable.”

Further information can be found by visiting www.finedieting.com

Ben’s typical day of eating before diet:

Breakfast (800kcal)

  • Pint of orange juice and 4 slices white toast with butter and Marmite

Lunch (2700kcal)

  • 3 turkey, bacon and mayonnaise sandwiches (1000kcal)
  • Family pack chocolate (900kcal)
  • Large bag of crisps (600kcal)
  • 3 Red Bulls (345kcal)

Before dinner (600kcal)

  • 2-3 bags crisps
  • 2x chocolate bars

Dinner (One of either)

  • Large meateor pizza, 14 chicken dippers, chicken stripper combo, tub of ice cream (6000kcal) (Daily total just over 10,000kcal)

Or

  • 1 large Big Mac meal, 2 Big Macs, 1/4lb Cheese Burger, 2x Dbl Cheeseburgers, 20 nuggets, family pack of chocolate (5000kcal) (Daily total just over 9,000kcal)

Or

  • 3 cottage pies, crisps and choc as it cooks, tub of ice cream (3650kcal) (Daily total around 8,000kcal)

Ben’s typical day of eating after diet on Fine Diet Plan (Total 2,900kcal on the basis of maintaining weight without doing any exercise):

Breakfast

  • Chocolate orange porridge (820kcal)

Morning snack

  • Marmite coated pumpkin seeds (220kcal)

Lunch

  • Falafel burger (820kcal)

Afternoon snack

  • No bake chocolate and peanut butter bites (220kcal)

Dinner

  • Gnocchi bake dinner (820kcal)