TEENAGER Huw Cammack lost over six stone after piling on the pounds when he was injured. He tells health reporter Kate Liptrot about his transformation.

WHEN he tipped the scales at almost 19 stone, Huw Cammack's mum told him it was time to address his weight.

The 19-year-old - who had had gradually piled on weight after hurting his back skateboarding three years ago - was offered some help from mum Sue who said she would help pay for a personal trainer if Huw kept his side of the bargain.

Five months on and after some very hard work, the York College student has lost over six stone - making him virtually unrecognisable, literally so to a friend who had returned from university.

"I had back problems which probably increased my weight," Huw said remembering his injury, "I couldn't move and I couldn't go to college, it was terrifying and I spent days in bed. My leg was numb and I was getting sharp shooting pains. Over three years I was getting bigger and bigger.

"My mum said 'this is a problem, you need to look at yourself.' "

Too reluctant and embarrassed to join a large gym, although recovered enough to exercise, Huw joined Podfit in Market Street which has individual training areas and where a trainer guided him through a carefully made training regime and helped him to change his diet.

Now Huw follows a carefully balanced diet, avoiding junk food and snacking between meals.

As if evidence of how his new lifestyle, Huw bounds in from his home in Southbank to our meeting in York city centre in less than ten minutes and barely out of breath.

"It puts a massive smile on my face," Huw said.

"I have a friend who went to uni just before I started training and he saw me at the point I was my biggest. He came back at New Year's Eve and he didn't recognise me.

"When I was bigger I used to look in the mirror and think 'you look great anyway' - my vanity took control.

"Now I think I look ideal. I'm much more confident and motivated. It's brilliant to do the things I used to, it's a shame I lost track of it all."

He is one of the biggest weight loss success stories at Podfit, manager Neil Owens said. "It has totally transformed his personality from shy with low self esteem to a confident and funny young man," Neil said, "He is unrecognisable - not just from the way he looks but the way he is. He's proud of himself and that shows in the way he is now."

- Visit www.podfit.co.uk for more information.