I lost 6st with Insta food king without dieting and now I’m dating him
AFTER years of fad diets and binge eating, Charlotte Deniz started to restrict herself to one meal a day.
That was before she began dating John Clark. Here, we find out how the Meal Prep King, who has an Instagram following of 12,000, helped her lose 6st 4lb without going on a diet.
Lorry driver John has been batch-cooking nutritious meals every Sunday for more than a decade, after his 21st 6lb frame earned him the nickname Fat John at work.
After losing 8st 1lb, John encouraged partner Charlotte, 34, to share his home-cooked meals, which he spends six hours preparing every Sunday ready for the week ahead.
Now the couple batch-cook their breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks every week — with each meal under 400 calories and costing them just 60p per portion.
Charlotte, from Blackpool, says: “Before I met John I was at my heaviest at 16st. I was at a loss.
“I’d tried every quick-fix fad diet and failed at them all. I was surviving on one meal a day in my last-ditch attempt to lose weight.
“John never pressured me into meal prepping. He initially suggested it as he could see I wasn’t eating regularly.
“But he became my coach. And the more time we spent together, we found it fun to do it as a team.
“I embraced what he ate and in just one year I dropped to 9st 10lbs. And the best bit is, we get to eat naughty foods as well as healthy meals.”
Dad-of-two John, 39, says: “We make everything from scratch and eat whatever we want. It’s not a diet, it’s about making sure your diet is balanced and sustainable.
“I cook really tasty food, even things people usually think are unhealthy like juicy burgers, spicy curries and chocolate doughnuts.”
Our fave meals
- Cajun orange chicken with white rice, steamed carrots and sesame seeds
- Jerk chicken, sweet potato and bacon-wrapped asparagus
- Home-made chickpea burgers on a beetroot brioche bun
- Cheesy steak and broccoli with roasted new potatoes and Eatlean cheese
- Chicken kebabs marinated with Greek seasoning, with chipotle sauce and giant couscous
WEIGHT LOSS LED TO LOVE
Charlotte and John met via Facebook in 2017 and soon bonded online over their weight struggles.
Account manager Charlotte says: “I had an awful diet in my twenties. I used to eat food for convenience without realising how bad it was for me. I used to view food as the enemy and restricted myself to only one meal a day.
“But then I’d gorge on takeaways in one binge-eating sitting.
“I initially declined several offers to meet John as I was too embarrassed of how I looked.
“But he had a way of making me feel comfortable. He never pushed me for a date and was happy to go at my pace.
“He told me he used to be over 21st himself, and I felt he could relate.
“He never judged me, and over time I started to open up to him. One of the main reasons I fell in love with John was he saw something in me that I couldn’t.”
Back in his Fat John days, trucker John ate up to 5,000 calories a day and in 2004 he was diagnosed as obese.
He swapped burgers van food and pub lunches for home-cooked meals and shed 8st 10lb over 18 months, initially getting down to 12st 10lbs.
John says: “I sat in my car outside the doctor’s, desperate, alone, and cried. I was given some leaflets on what I should and shouldn’t eat but I wasn’t offered much help.
“I didn’t know where to start.
“Initially I started working out up to five times a week and lost lots of weight, but I hated the daily workouts so I took up meal prepping.
“I lived with a former employer and he didn’t waste any food when cooking. He showed me how to make a little go a long way.”
THE MEAL PREP TEAM
Charlotte and John, who now weighs 13st 5lb, have become a meal prep team and share all their creations on Instagram as .
John says: “Once Charlotte started to enjoy food, it became so much easier for her.
“I’m prepared to put the work in if it is helping her keep on track. What we do on weekends frees up so much time in the evenings so it is worth it.”
The couple spend around £135 a month on all their meals.
John says: “We spend around £80 on 5kg of chicken, burgers, sausages, mince and fish online, £25 on fruit and veg at the outdoor market, and get everything else from Aldi or Tesco.
“I cook four meals a day for seven days and put it all into 56 cartons.
“I didn’t know where to start with cooking for myself. Now I just want to help other people and inspire them to stay away from boring diets.
“I love what we eat and enjoy every mouthful.”
- GOT a news story? RING us on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk