FAT NO MORE
Yep! this was me, weighing in at around 20st (280lbs)(127kg) and when I look at these photos now I don't recognize that person, was I really that big?
As young child my mum was always on at me about eating food because I didn't really eat, she would say “you aint getting down from that table until you finish it all” or “it will be there tomorrow for breakfast” and I know why, we didn't have much much back then, it was just me and mum so food could of been seen as a luxury.
Yeah that’s me on the right back in the 70s with that crazy hair. So weight and food back then was never a problem, I never thought about it and in fact my mum was always worried I wasn't eating enough due to the skinny nature of my body but in myself from what I can remember I felt fine.
Food was different back then no one gave a stuff about E-numbers, sugar and whatever else they threw in the mix we just eat was we had.
So I guess from an early age through to my late teens food was never a subject I talked about or even worried about I felt good and I would eat when I wanted to.
My father was on the seen but let’s just say few and far between, let me explain briefly, if you ever met my mum and my dad it would be a wonder on how I was ever born, you see my dad was high in the London underworld and my mum well she was as straight as dye these two people are complete opposites.
So growing up as you can imagine shall we say could be at times eventful and challenging however my mum’s side of the family were amazing and made me who I am today and trust me when I say this “I could of easily gone down the other path”.
It wasn't until it hit 25-ish I started to put on weight, food had become something I paid great interest in and exercise apart from football at the weekend was non-existent. What I hated most about my weight gain was that it would always hit my face and chin first and it would really show and that just spun me emotionally to sink deeper and started a vicious circle or yo-yo dieting.
Diets
You name it I tired it, diet pills from the internet, low fat meals, I even did the whole Lighterlife thing and amazingly I stuck it out and lost 4 stone, however like all fad diets it was short lived and I soon ballooned back.
I got married at 32 my first born at 33 with my 2nd child at 38 and then things really changed. I was running my own business and my business partner at the time did a runner with the money and I lost everything, my home, my cars everything and I can tell you now this pill was a huge one to swallow.
I felt like I had let everyone down and I had slipped into horrible place you see letting people down is a real issue for me because of my father, long story maybe my next article. This period of my life is where I didnt care what I looked like, what I was eating or anything.
I hit my largest weight of 20st (280lbs)(127kg) even putting on a pair of socks was a workout. I had pains in my feet regularly, I started with palpitations and all sorts of things and I was only in my early 40's.
My heart palpitations had became so bad I was blue lighted to hospital a few times to have urgent medication to bring it back to a normal, I had even past out during one episode things were so bad.
I could see my children's faces and I knew I was setting a horrible example so I needed to get to the bottom of these palpitations. After a series of check ups I had developed something within the heat that causes the electricity to circle round causing rapid heart beat known as an SVT when I felt down or was stressed.
Heart Surgery
I was offered surgery to get this corrected or I could live with this for the rest of my life. I opted for surgery and my god this was a strange experience, they inserted two long cables through the groin with a laser on the end all the way up through your main arteries right into your heart and then they create the palpitations, when they see what is causing the electrical circulation they bazooka it away. OH BY THE WAY YOUR AWAKE THOUGH IT ALL!
Happy to report no more palpitations as from august 2019 and my internal health reported very good and I have a strong heart so from it all I had some good news.
At the close of 2019 and the turn of the new decade I said to myself enough is enough, it’s time to find me again and will not be ruled by my emotional eating anymore, enough was enough. So I joined Weight Watchers through the app and in January started to track what I was eating.
I replace most of my meat intake with quorn or veggies and cut down on my portion sizes and within the first couple of months I started to notice my energy coming back. So I started at the gym (trust me me I don't like the gym) however each week I was seeing more weigh fall away and I was feeling so good even the gym started to feel good I couldn't believe it.
Then Covid hit and lockdown began! Great just as I was making such good progress it was like someone up there wants me to fail I kept saying to myself but this was different, I felt different, 2020 new decade, new year new me I wasn't about to let anyone or anything distract me from my goal.
Come the turn of September I had lost 4 stone (56lbs)(25kg) I was taking the dog out, riding my bike eating healthy I was on a mission and smashing it every month.
Then in December I reached my main goal and went from 20st (280lbs)(127kg) to 15st (210lbs)(96kg) I felt incredible people kept saying that the two people in the photo looked like father and son, this weight loss had transformed me.
Then I caught Covid mid december, my daughter had brought it home from school and oh my it knocked me off my feet I was in bed for 3 days. BUT I truly believe that if I was the man that I was before you know the 20st (280lbs)(127kg) with heart palpitations and poor health I think I would of been a lot worse in fact the covid people who call you to check that everything is okay actually asked for my plasma as my recovery was so good and so quick something within me could help others.
I have to say I believe it’s because I took that positive move forward at the start of 2020 and lost so much weight and become so much more fitter and that my body was able to deal with it as it did.
We are now in March 2021 and I think I can safely that say that my long term battle with food is all but over. I spent so many years emotionally down and not even realizing it until recently as I embarked on this journey of self discovery and I am so glad that I did what I did. I never thought I could ever do this but I did and I stand tall today and for the first time in a long time I am truly happy with who I am.
