Heavy metal fan sheds 10 stone...
...BUT NOW NEEDS £10,000 TO REMOVE EXCESS SKIN
A HEAVY metal fan who lost 10 stone in a year is fundraising to remove folds of excess skin.
Paul Watling from Salford went from 26 stone to 16 stone in just under a year by ditching his rock and roll lifestyle.
He used to drink between 15 to 20 pints on a night out, but has cut out booze and now sticks to a highprotein diet.
But losing ten stone has left him with unwanted flab around his stomach, thighs, arms and chest.
Although he’s much healthier and happier now, the reams of floppy skin have left him feeling ‘ashamed,’ so he’s booked in for surgery to get it removed in January.
The only problem is, the 34-yearold from Walkden is facing a £10,000-bill for the operation as he is unable to get the surgery on the NHS.
He plans to apply out a loan to pay for it, and is asking the public for donations to help ease the financial strain.
Paul has battled with his weight his entire life.
When he was 21, he weighed 30 stone and had to have a gastric bypass when medics discovered a benign tumour on his lung.
He dropped down to about 18 stone after the bypass, but the saggy skin he was left with caused him to sink into a depression.
He turned to alcohol and fatty foods to console himself, and gradually the weight crept back up over the years.
At his largest, Paul would eat about 5,500 calories a day, sometimes polishing off entire loaves of buttery toast.
He’d eat a meal deal for lunch with an extra sandwich and chocolate bar, and then a 14-inch pizza with two or three bottles of wine for tea.
But after bumping into a friend who had trimmed down last Christmas to become a powerlifter, he was inspired to change his ways.
Paul cleared out his cupboards with the help of partner Charlotte, and began eating lean meat, tuna salads and omelettes instead.
He’s saving the money he used to splash on alcohol and junk food to save up for the operation to remove the flab.
The Metallica fan said: “I would easily spend £150 on a night out, and would drink between 15 to 20 pints.
“I’m the lightest I have ever been – but what’s the point if I still don’t feel comfortable in my own skin?
“When I look at myself in the mirror I feel ashamed of how I look, and that skin is a reminder of the man I was 12 months ago.
“I’m going to do it for my own piece of mind.”
To donate to Paul’s cause, visit www.youcaring.com/ paulchunkwatling-913403.