How boxer Tony Bellew lost a stone and a half after retiring from the ring

After retiring from in-ring competition, one former cruiserweight world champion piled on the pounds pretty quickly.

Now, Tony Bellew is fighting fit again. A revamped diet and training plan have seen him shed one and a half stone in no time at all. Earlier this year, Bellew's weight peaked at 17 and a half stone, but he now steps on the scales at around 16. This initial weight gain owed much to retirement, with the motivation to continue following a strict exercise and diet regime slowly slipping away. Injuries had also hampered the Liverpudlian's health and fitness outside the ring. Bellew said: "I gained weight after retiring by living a normal life – I didn't have that competitive desire to train anymore. Injury stopped me doing cardio too, which completely knocked me sideways". The lifelong Evertonian would also feel self-conscious about being overweight before appearances on Sky Sports, as tailored suits from his days in the ring no longer fit properly. Bellew said: "Getting unfit was a problem that was only going to get worse if I didn't address it. I needed a whole different wardrobe compared to when I was at fighting weight. "I'd get a suit out for a TV appearance and realise it was too small now, so of course I was self-conscious and unhappy."

The dangers of obesity

Serious levels of obesity can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, and increased risk of disease. But for Bellew, confidence issues and mental health really persuaded him to make a long-lasting change. "It's been tough not having a big fight to work towards, but I don't just want to be an unhappy, unhealthy rubber blob." Turning to musclefood.com helped Bellew stick to a diet that would help him lose weight fast. He said: "At my heaviest earlier this year I was nearly 250lbs, but now I've nearly got back down to 220lbs with the help of musclefood. "I could never do an extreme diet of ten boiled eggs a day or live off protein shakes, but their Do The Unthinkable meal plan has helped me get to a weight where I feel comfortable without any of the stress." Boring diets are less likely to succeed because they're unsustainable. By knowing how many calories you need to lose weight, you can factor a variety of meals into your day that you enjoy eating if they still hit this target. Musclefood's Do The Unthinkable plan offers weekly deliveries of pre-prepared meals and snacks, bespoke to an individual's goal, weight and calorie needs. Bellew said this helped him no end. "I was often grumpy and narky in pre-fight camps because I lacked carbohydrates and everything was very bland, but with musclefood there are over 100 different low calorie, low fat meals and such a variety of flavours to choose from. My favourite product is the Beef Ragu Pasta."

Bellew's daily diet