Weight to go
Morbidly obsese Mark scoffed 24 packets of crisps a day but when docs told him he could die he hit the gym and lost 18 STONE
MARK Hardie used to munch his way through 24 bags of crisps a day.
But it was crunch time when docs said he was eating himself to death.
The Clydebank man has now shed 18 stone and is feeling great.
A remarkable achievement when the chips were down.
A MORBIDLY obese man who scoffed 24 packets of crisps a day has shed 18st – after medics told him he was eating himself to death. Mark Hardie tipped the scales at a whopping 31st 1Ib after years of gorging himself on entire multi-packs. He also scoffed three burgers and a fish supper, 12 litres of fizzy juice and sugary snacks every day. But when doctors warned Mark, 49, his life was at risk and diagnosed him with type 2 diabetes, he finally listened – losing an incredible 18st in just 18 months. Mark, from Clydebank, ditched his 6000 calories-aday diet for the gym and even overcame his diabetes through his new healthy lifestyle. Now, Mark, who used to take more than an hour to walk 20 yards, has slimmed down to 13st 2lbs. He said: “I feel great, I’m out running all the time now.” Mark started losing weight after a friend referred him to his local gym last year. At the time, he wore 6XL shirts and had a 58in waist.
But his new lifestyle has helped him take more than 10 inches off his waist as he tries to reach his target weight of 12st 5Ibs.
Mark, who lives with wife Dawn, 50, said: “From the age of 27, I started to comfort eat and I ended up gaining more weight as time went on.
“When I got diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at 31 years old, that was it. I began to feel really suicidal.
“My doctor said I had to lose weight, otherwise I wouldn’t be around any longer.”
Mark joined Planet Fitness and took on personal trainer Gary Robb.
Gary, 40, helped educate Mark about food and did high-intensity interval training with him.
In August, Mark went to the diabetes centre at Gartnavel General Hospital where he found out he no longer has type 2 diabetes.
He said: “I want to tell people, if I can do it, they can do it too.”