A 64-year-old man finally looks like his identical twin after shifting five and a half stone in a year. Derek Hutchinson, from Fleet, Hampshire, can now be compared to his slim brother Philip, after almost 25 years of looking nothing like him. The shower service engineer put on weight after giving up smoking at 40 years old, and the weight continued to creep on. Slimmed down: Derek went to visit Philip and coincidentally turned up wearing an almost identical outfit to him. That was when they realised how similar they looked after his weightloss . But after a hip replacement in April 2012, Mr Hutchinson decided to lose weight to aid his recovery and joined his local Weight Watchers group run by team-leader Deborah Poxton. Mr Hutchinson said: 'I feel great and I wish I had done this years ago. 'I look like a twin again and people can recognise us as brothers. 'I went to visit Philip recently and his wife had never seen us looking similar. I had turned up wearing an almost identical outfit to him, so it was quite spooky. 'She couldn't believe it.' After starting his diet in June 2012 at a hefty 18 stone 1.5lbs, Mr Hutchinson adopted the Weight Watchers diet plan and started losing weight immediately. 'I knew I wanted to lose weight and a friend in the U.S was on a diet with Weight Watchers over there. She suggested I find my local group so we could diet together and compare notes online. Life-changing: Derek (right) gained weight when he gave up smoking 24 years ago. He began to look less and less like his brother but decided to shift the pounds when he had a hip replacement operation . 'I was a bit nervous as these diet groups are often dominated by women, so I thought it might be intimidating being the only man. 'A lot of the time I am the only man, but everyone is supportive and it's worked.' Mr Hutchinson who measured up at a 42-inch waist now boasts a slimmer 34-inch trouser size, and is just 5lbs from his weight target at 12 stone 5lbs. 'I was always a little bit chubbier than my brother growing up. Even when we were born I was a pound heavier despite being identical. 'But as children, and in our twenties and thirties people couldn't tell us apart, especially if we weren't together. 'But when I hit 40 I quit smoking and piled on the weight and we weren't recognised as twins anymore. All grown up: Identical twins Philip and Derek Hutchinson, aged nine months old at Christmas 1949 . 'Now I've lost it again Philip thinks it's great. I wish I had done this years ago.' Mr Hutchinson's weight loss plan consists of cutting down on fatty meat and eating lean meat and fish with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, with each food having a point value. 'I used to eat a lot of cheese and fatty meats such as pork and lamb, and sausages.' he admits. 'Now I eat lean meat, and have cut down on my alcohol consumption. I've also bought a bike and try to cycle 3 or 4 miles every day. 'I retire next year so I'm glad I have got fit in time to enjoy myself'. Weight loss leader Ms Poxton herself made headlines in June for her seven stone weight loss. The mother-of-six started up a weight loss group after losing a lot of the weight while her soldier husband Mark was serving in Afghanistan. She said he barely recognised her when he returned. She added: 'It's just amazing to see the photos of what Derek looked like before compared to what he looks like now, and he is happy which is great. 'He comes to every class which is rare for a man.'
Derek Hutchinson put on weight after giving up smoking at 40 years old .
He decided to lose weight after a hip replacement operation last year .
A 64-year-old man finally looks like his identical twin after shifting five and a half stone in a year. Derek Hutchinson, from Fleet, Hampshire, can now be compared to his slim brother Philip, after almost 25 years of looking nothing like him. The shower service engineer put on weight after giving up smoking at 40 years old, and the weight continued to creep on. Slimmed down: Derek went to visit Philip and coincidentally turned up wearing an almost identical outfit to him. That was when they realised how similar they looked after his weightloss . But after a hip replacement in April 2012, Mr Hutchinson decided to lose weight to aid his recovery and joined his local Weight Watchers group run by team-leader Deborah Poxton. Mr Hutchinson said: 'I feel great and I wish I had done this years ago. 'I look like a twin again and people can recognise us as brothers. 'I went to visit Philip recently and his wife had never seen us looking similar. I had turned up wearing an almost identical outfit to him, so it was quite spooky. 'She couldn't believe it.' After starting his diet in June 2012 at a hefty 18 stone 1.5lbs, Mr Hutchinson adopted the Weight Watchers diet plan and started losing weight immediately. 'I knew I wanted to lose weight and a friend in the U.S was on a diet with Weight Watchers over there. She suggested I find my local group so we could diet together and compare notes online. Life-changing: Derek (right) gained weight when he gave up smoking 24 years ago. He began to look less and less like his brother but decided to shift the pounds when he had a hip replacement operation . 'I was a bit nervous as these diet groups are often dominated by women, so I thought it might be intimidating being the only man. 'A lot of the time I am the only man, but everyone is supportive and it's worked.' Mr Hutchinson who measured up at a 42-inch waist now boasts a slimmer 34-inch trouser size, and is just 5lbs from his weight target at 12 stone 5lbs. 'I was always a little bit chubbier than my brother growing up. Even when we were born I was a pound heavier despite being identical. 'But as children, and in our twenties and thirties people couldn't tell us apart, especially if we weren't together. 'But when I hit 40 I quit smoking and piled on the weight and we weren't recognised as twins anymore. All grown up: Identical twins Philip and Derek Hutchinson, aged nine months old at Christmas 1949 . 'Now I've lost it again Philip thinks it's great. I wish I had done this years ago.' Mr Hutchinson's weight loss plan consists of cutting down on fatty meat and eating lean meat and fish with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, with each food having a point value. 'I used to eat a lot of cheese and fatty meats such as pork and lamb, and sausages.' he admits. 'Now I eat lean meat, and have cut down on my alcohol consumption. I've also bought a bike and try to cycle 3 or 4 miles every day. 'I retire next year so I'm glad I have got fit in time to enjoy myself'. Weight loss leader Ms Poxton herself made headlines in June for her seven stone weight loss. The mother-of-six started up a weight loss group after losing a lot of the weight while her soldier husband Mark was serving in Afghanistan. She said he barely recognised her when he returned. She added: 'It's just amazing to see the photos of what Derek looked like before compared to what he looks like now, and he is happy which is great. 'He comes to every class which is rare for a man.'
year. Derek Hutchinson, from Fleet, Hampshire, him. The shower service engineer put on weight after giving up smoking at 40 years old, and the he had a hip replacement operation . 'I was a bit