A KILBARCHAN man who shed a whopping seven stone in just six months is edging closer to his dream of parachute jumping.

Jamie Reid, who weighed 31 stone 10, decided to ditch the takeaways and sign up for Slimming World in October last year.

He said: “I couldn’t walk the length of myself. My weight was getting out of control.”

The 33-year-old had previously tried other diets but didn’t stick to them.

On his first week at Slimming World he was shocked to discover he had lost a staggering 13 and a half pounds.

He stuck to the programme and now weighs 24 stone 5lb, his waist has shrunk from a size 50 to a 42.

Jamie said his friends and family have all been hugely supportive and he posts regular updates on Facebook with his progress.

He said: “People comment on the pictures on Facebook. Now I feel I would let people down if I didn’t stick to it.

“But I still have a long way to go.”

Currently, Jamie’s target weight is 18 stone but he says if he reaches that he would like to go a bit further.

If he manages to achieve his goal Jamie hopes to reach new heights by signing up for a parachute jump to celebrate the achievement.

Meanwhile, fellow Slimming World member Maureen Barrett describes the moment she wanted to “shout from the rooftops” when she managed to fit comfortably into size ten clothes.

The 62-year-old, from Johnstone, struggled with her weight for years. She tried a number of diets but noticed the bad habits always began to creep back in.

In November 2014, Maureen decided to sign up for a Slimming World class and describes the decision as “life changing”.

She said: “I feel more normal and able to fit in. The choice at Slimming World is amazing. I am still able to go for meals and out for drinks.

“It’s all about making the right choices.”