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A SUPER-SLIMMER has lost an amazing 18 stone 8lbs in two years after giving up pie sandwiches, biscuits and takeaways.

Since the Chronicle told Marc Soulsby’s story in January, the dad-of-one from Harlow Green has lost a further two stone and won second place in Slimming World’s Greatest Loser 2012 competition – although he has since lost more weight than the winner Matthew Briggs, from York.

“When I came back from the awards I’d put on 2lbs because they give you stupid food like chocolate cheesecake,” said Marc, 39, who’s 6ft 4in and 23 stone.

“But at my last weigh-in I’d lost 7lbs in a week.”

Within days of the Chronicle front page, Marc’s story had gone all over the world.

“Surprised wasn’t the word when I saw myself on the front page,” said Marc. “It was all good feedback from people I knew – the people that matter. The only negative was people on Twitter.”

Marc’s weight problems spiralled out of control when he lost his job as a call centre trainer in 2005 and became a reclusive comfort eater. He would sleep from 6am until 2pm, skip breakfast and lunch before tucking into pie sandwiches, packets of biscuits and takeaways at night.

His weight ballooned to 41 stone 8lbs and he could only walk 50ft before his back and knees gave out. He was too self-conscious to leave the house and suffered panic attacks.

“Any time my friends would call or ask me to go out, I’d make excuses,” said Marc.

The only time he left the house was to drive his grandmother to the shops or to pick up his 15-year-old son Connor from school.

He used to drive almost lying down so his belly could fit behind the wheel and one time the car seat broke under his weight.

But he finally joined Slimming World in Dunston after his doctor warned him he was eating himself to death and his sisters Lisa and Donna staged an “intervention”.

He said: “One of the scariest things I’ve done was walk through that door at Slimming World. It seemed like there were about 1,000 people there and as I opened the door everyone looked.”

Within a month he’d lost a stone, and carried on losing a stone a month for the first 10.

“I’ve swapped takeaway curries for making my own healthy versions and I’ve swapped long days holed up in my bedroom for time spent socialising with friends, walking or enjoying my new hobby of photography.”

He’s also joined the gym. The next step is a job, ideally as a delivery driver.

“If I’m humping and carrying parcels all day long that can’t do me any harm.”

KAREN WILSON