A night editor at a regional publisher has revealed how he lost more than four stone by playing football.

Matt Jackson, digital publishing editor at Reach’s ‘Night Owls’ team of late shift journalists, lost 4st 3lb thanks to the Manvfat challenge.

The project, aimed at getting men more active, sees players weighing in before playing a 28-minute football match.

Afterwards, they are awarded goals for weight loss as well as the scores on the pitch.

Matt Jackson before and after joining ManvFat

Matt, formerly of Congleton Chronicle and Stoke-on-Trent daily The Sentinel, wrote in a first-person piece about the challenge: “Joining solo was daunting, but you’ve got to just give some things a go, right? Luckily, it wasn’t long until I was welcomed by the other players and got to try my first match.

“Sadly, it wasn’t long into that match that I realised what being a chronically unfit almost 30-year-old journalist trying to run felt like. I think shattered doesn’t start to explain it.

“But as the weeks and months rolled on, I started to gain more fitness and confidence. And with that, I noticed a drive for weight loss as well.

“Spurred by the goals and encouraged by teammates, I hit my five, 10, 15, and 20pc weight loss milestones. And then, almost a year after joining, and possibly the first time in decades, I hit my healthy weight – a final certificate proudly stating ‘BMI Boss’.”

Matt’s achievements with his local ManvFat group, based in Crewe, have now inspired him to take up running.

Speaking to HTFP about his piece, he said: “The reaction from everyone has been lovely. I’d already been tweeting about each milestone as I go and the general feedback has been really good, a boost at every step.”