Paddy to lose 100lb and inspire with TikTok
A SLIGO MAN is attempting to shed 100 pounds in 2021 – and hopes his journey can have a positive impact on others.
Paddy Cunningham, a Calry native living in Dromahair, began his challenge – Road to 100 – on January 3 as he looks to go from 327 pounds to 227 pounds by the end of the year.
This isn’t Paddy’s first weight loss journey either, as some readers may recall his time on The Biggest Loser UK in 2011.
“10 years ago I originally lost a fair chunk of weight via The Biggest Loser when I lived in the UK. It was like a more extreme version of Operation Transformation. I lost roughly sixand-a-half stone during the show and I got another two stone off before the show started.”
Before appearing on the show, Paddy weighed 360 pounds and managed to lose an incredible 160 pounds over the months that followed.
Since then, however, he said he began to notice how much weight he was beginning to put on in recent years and was initially ready to tackle it head on this time last year. “I noticed the weight was creeping on again. Eighteen months ago I decided I didn’t want to go into my 40s putting the weight on again. I went through a lot of thoughts about how I got here again. That is something people forget – there is a mental aspect to weight loss. I didn’t want to beat myself up too much, I decided to put a number on it and aimed for 100 pounds. I wanted to start it last year but the pandemic started and life changed dramatically.”
Paddy decided to go public with his weight loss journey. He is active across various social media platforms – but the one he was most alien to is the one where he has cultivated his biggest following.
“I have used social media a lot. Primarily TikTok, which I thought I was much too old for. I have got quite a bit of engagement on it. And I share updates on Facebook too. Every week
I do a weigh-in and give a quick update about that as well and share some tips along the way.”
“When I downloaded TikTok I thought it was just that app people dance on,” he continued. “Once I knew how the algorithm works I learned how my videos can reach people interested in weight loss videos because it is relevant to what they already watch.
“The videos have around 250,000 views since early January in total and that’s a reach you probably wouldn’t get on Facebook or YouTube for months.”
One of his primary reasons for making his weight loss journey public is because he knows losing weight again after putting it back on is something many people face.
He wants to offer a relatable, stepby-step journey and promoting the mental side to losing weight which can often be forgotten.
“When people regain weight there can be the feeling of shame, guilt and being judged by other people and that is an unhealthy place to go because if you continue down that road you end up in that cycle of binge eating.” “I support the mantra that no matter your weight, shape or size, none of that determines your value or worth as a person – it is how you live your life day-to-day. It’s a bit idealistic but it is something I genuinely believe. Sometimes people who are overwight might feel they are somehow lesser than others, I used to feel like that, but weight doesn’t determine how you should feel about your value as a person.”
A key component of the mental aspect of weight loss is that there must be an element of enjoyment to it. Completely cutting your favourite treats out of your diet is not something he agrees with, as moderation is a much more realistic approach for the average person.
“When people think of diet and weight loss, you might automatically think salads, juices and supplements – and that does works for some people. “What you really need to do is commit to something that you can see being sustainable for you seven or eight years later. Going into that with a mindset of never having bread, never having a takeaway or never having a drink, the cravings will hit you very hard within a few weeks.
“Not every kind of food can be divided up into good and bad – different food supports what you want to achieve in different ways.”
The restrictions of 2020 prompted many people to get on top of their health – both physically and mentally and he hopes that this will benefit how we view weight loss going forward. “A lot of people last year were definitely talking about ‘lockdown weight’, but more notably I think we saw a shift from weight loss to overall health and that’s a good thing.
“When we talk about weight loss we think about the number on a scale, exercising more and eating less. That’s a very simplistic view of it.
“Your mental health plays a big part in this, reviewing your relationship with food for example is more beneficial than spending an extra hour in the gym.
“The right mindset drives you through every day, both good and bad, because weight loss isn’t a straight line all the way to the end point.” To date, Paddy has already lost 19 pounds during his Road to 100 challenge, with 81 pounds to go to meet his end of year target.
If you are interested in following Paddy’s journey, you can do so by finding him on TikTok by searching for @ paddycunningham or on his Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ptpaddy/.
“I have used social media a lot. I thought I was too old for TikTok but I have got quite a bit of engagement on it”