Thomas McIntyre laughed with the people around him when he got stuck in the turnstile while attending a soccer match, but on the inside he couldn't have been more embarrassed.

Weighing 434 lbs. with a 74-inch waistline, McIntyre was used to making a joke out of his size, ABC News reported. However, this recent run in with humiliation was a wake-up call for the 43-year-old from Northern Island.

"My weight felt like a huge burden when I married my beautiful wife Claire. She's always loved me for me but getting a suit was difficult and I felt awful in it," McIntyre said in a press release issued by weight loss assistance group Slimming World.

"Getting stuck in a turnstile when I went to Partick Thistle's ground wasn't much fun either, after that I had to go in through the disabled gate every time I went to a football game,"

McIntyre started following Swimming World's Food Optimizing eating plan, which includes healthy recipes for home-cooked meals. He began trading his favorite junk food for Slimming World-friendly chicken curry and grilled vegetables. The result? A more than 10-lb. weight loss in the first week.

That was back in February 2012. Today, McIntyre weights 188 lbs., surmounting to a 246-lb. weight loss in a little over a year. He says that his dramatic weight loss is nothing compared to the amount of motivation he has gained, motivation that he has put into starting a family.

"Before I joined Slimming World I had no energy, my days off would consist of me just lying on the sofa. Now everything's easier and I'm so much happier. If we are lucky enough to have children, I'll be the active dad I always wanted to be and that's really important to me," McIntyre added.

"I feel like life passed me by for years so I'm determined to live it to the full now. When I first joined Slimming World my friend Mauveen gave me a plaque that said 'Always look on the bright side...', it's definitely easier to do that now so I'm not pretending to be the jolly fat bloke anymore, I'm genuinely happy."

Now, the 2013 Slimming World Man Of The Year couldn't be more confident in his appearance. McIntyre says he can enjoy trips to see his favorite soccer club play, but admits that there is one pitfall.

"I can fit through the turnstiles when I go to the football now so there's no embarrassment there, in fact, that's the only downside to my weight loss because I have to queue with everyone else!"