A man and his beloved dog have shed nearly five stone between them after summer holiday pictures gave a stark wake-up call about how 'bad habits' were affecting his health. A vet also flagged concerns about his dog being "overweight", giving both a reason to change.

Stuart Scott credits his pet with "motivating" him to drop 4.7st through daily walks that burnt calories - with his four-legged friend also trimming down in the process. The 33-year-old admitted he would "never go out" prior to welcoming his chug – a chihuahua and pug cross named Poppy, now aged nine, but insists she's transformed his life.

Prior to taking on his weight loss journey in September 2025, Stuart would devour family-sized steak pies and entire racks of ribs for his evening meal and knocking back Monster Energy drinks daily, consuming roughly 10 cans a week.

His weight peaked at 18st 3lbs and he could barely fit into size XL clothes - having a 42-inch waistline. Upon reviewing pictures from his Fuerteventura getaway in August 2025, they "spurred" Stuart into fixing his wellbeing, prompting him to knock out "bad habits" which resulted in a leaner 13 stone 11lbs weight that now comfortably fits into smaller size clothing.

Stuart said his dog Poppy - who he acquired in 2017 - with driving his weight loss success, as the pair go out for a minimum 40-minute stroll together daily. Poppy has even shed 1kg and now maintains a healthy 2kg since their fitness overhaul, following Stuart's memory of his vet telling him she was "a little" overweight during her most recent examination, reports Essex Live.

Stuart, an NHS administrator from Hornchurch in Essex, said: "I've always enjoyed my food, but seeing the photos of me on holiday in Fuerteventura last August sort of spurred me on to lose weight. One of me near the boat, especially.

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"I kept my top on, I didn't want to show my stomach. I didn't realise I was that big. I felt like I had no energy and on walks with Poppy I would only walk for 15 or 20 minutes before I got tired.

"I was eating lots – extra-large kebabs or two racks of ribs in one sitting. At Pizza Hut's buffet, I ate 18 slices of pizza in one sitting, that's including cheese and tomato pasta for starters. But now my diet is much better."

Stuart said that overhauling what he ate proved one of the most significant elements in shedding the pounds, as he insists the only physical activity he manages is taking Poppy for strolls. He added: "Before Poppy, I would never go out, but she's helped me go for walks every day, and we're now going for longer walks because I've been able to go further."

Stuart has transformed his eating habits and fitness regime to get himself in shape, though previously, he'd typically miss breakfast in favour of a substantial midday meal. Looking back on his journey with Sell Us Your Story, he said: "I would have a sausage sandwich and sausage rolls, pasties like steak bakes.

"For dinner, I would have two of everything and double up on dinner, so say if I had two burgers, I would have extra chips that would be enough for two people. At a Chinese buffet, I ate a record of 16 duck wraps, including sweet and sour chicken, satay chicken, chicken balls, chips and ice cream – and then went back for more."

Stuart's meals now look completely different - Weetabix starts his day, followed by a tuna or chicken and salad sandwich at lunchtime. His evening meals feature fresh chicken or fish alongside rice or homemade wedges.

He said: It's pretty much bad habits I've cut out. I used to have energy drinks every day, and now I just have flavoured water and have Snack-a-Jack's instead of all the high-calorie crisps. I'd like to lose another stone and a half.

"People are shocked, they think it's amazing and say 'it's dropped off you' or 'you can see it in your face and in your clothes' as well. I feel a lot happier and more confident in myself. Before I was embarrassed to go out, it was hard, but now I'm a lot happier in myself."

Poppy has been Stuart's companion throughout his weight-loss transformation, with the duo shedding pounds together. He added: "Even though she's getting older I find she's she got a lot of energy for her age. She's healthier than before".

• Breakfast – Nothing


• Lunch – Steak bakes, pasties, sausage rolls or McDonald's


• Dinner – Two racks of BBQ ribs with curly fires, an XL kebab, takeaway, pizza or family-sized steak pie


• Drinks – Monster Energy – one per day, two per day on a weekend


• Snacks – Monster Munch crisps, sweets, chocolate peanuts and an iced bun every evening

• Breakfast – Weetabix


• Lunch – Tuna or chicken and salad sandwich


• Dinner – Fresh chicken, fish or veggie burgers, stir fry with salad, rice or homemade potato wedges


• Drinks – Flavoured water and diet lemonade at weekends only


• Snacks – Snack-a-Jack's and low-fat popcorn at weekends only

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