My story - if I can do it, so can you! ( 37 year old dad of 3) - add me as a friend!!!

It’s a slow and painful battle, one that I know have been waging my own war for about 3 years.

I don’t typically remember how it happened but I can think of the one catalysing photo that made me think *kitten*, what have I done?

In my younger years, I remember my sister who is several years my senior, calling me the whippet. I was famed for eating and drinking whatever I liked with little to no consequences.

This changed as I approached my late 20s. All of a sudden I was aware of my metabolism slowing, as my children arrived one by one, I felt at various moments like I had sympathy pregnancy. My stomach ballooned in size and I would get lots of snide comments about this.

My waistline increased with little to no care on my part. I adapted my wardrobe buying increasingly bigger sizes, again it never really occupied any significant brain space. But I was, now in retrospect, becoming fat.

As I mentioned before, no one ever wakes up and thinks “Jesus, I’m fat, how has this happened”. For most people, it’s a slowly dawning realisation.

I’d been on holiday in Germany and some photos of me with my children straight out scared me. Who was this chunky guy who had managed to randomly insert himself into our holiday snaps? I was disgusted with what I saw and at first this self-loathing led to an increase in eating.

I looked like *kitten*, which meant I felt like *kitten* and therefore like a drug user, I medicated with high fat and salt meals. Anytime the slightest bit of stress entered my life, I’d again turn to sugary drinks, chocolate and a myriad of potato-based products. Fast food became a crutch, I was too tired to cook or do anything. But yet I was always able to get to a drive through or ring in an order.

After probably a couple of years of this cycle, I felt like I’d hit rock bottom. I was now at my heaviest ever, totalling a whopping 112KG. I’m medium height and looked really unhealthy.

I started experiencing health problems. I was out of breath continually, I was tired continually and my mood fluctuated a lot. I sat in an office all week before coming home and sitting in front of a games console.

I had a few instances of chest pains and I started to see how my food choices and attitudes were impacting my children. Specifically skewing their perceptions of what good food choices looked like.

At the age of 35, I started my fight back. Typically any weight loss will involve multiple false starts. I’d make good progress and then regress back, have periods of consistent weight loss followed by periods of self-doubt that again all led me back to bad habits.

It was however 2017, some 2 years later I felt like genuinely something had clicked in my head. This time I wanted it to be different. I imagined what a slimmer version of myself looked like, how I’d approach situations, what clothes I’d buy and this ideal became my motivation.

I started feeling like mentally I’d turned the corner, that actually my feelings about my life and future were more so in my own hands than ever before. Technology had made it even easier than ever to track my progress and that certain abstentions were going to be worth the results I was wanting.

I set about limiting my calorie intake to 1,500. I tried not to be super strict about it this but that was always my firm aspiration. I also set out to remove certain foods that I know had been my little friends during darker times. Crisps, bread and alcohol were all banished, not in any extreme way but I’d consciously avoid them when possible.

I switched out firm favourites like fizzy drinks with zero sugar options and water. However, I feel that none of these changes would have made any difference without this more important mind shift.

Suddenly my weight loss was consistent, I grew excited to see the real transformations taking place. I had the pleasure of clothing that had previously looked crap, fitting nicely and in some cases being too baggy.

In the last few days, I’ve returned to the gym to help aid muscle growth and improve my overall fitness levels. Sometimes I get impatient and have to take a step back and remind myself of what I’ve achieved. Occasionally I’ll hit the wall of weight loss, remaining a certain weight despite adherence to my calories but these always come to pass.

I wanted to share this because it is possible. So far I’ve lost 22kg. It’s not amazing but it’s a big step in the right direction. I blame no one else but myself for getting into this position, I sometimes joke that I’m atoning for my former food sins. But the truth of the matter is, taking responsibility for the situations we find ourselves in is part of the mental process needed to then commit to a fix.

Don’t underestimate the hard work, but have targets to try and hit, because with each little win comes a sense of achievement and purpose. I'd love to have people add me as a friend because I've found having friends on here so beneficial. Today is the perfect time to make a change!