WEIGHTLIFT TO WEIGHT LOSS
Tom now works at gym that changed his life
AN INSPIRATIONAL husband- to-be who tipped the scales at 24 stone has bagged his dream job as a personal trainer after losing a whopping 140lb.
Tom O’Brien, 31, will marry Shannah Lennox, 28, in three weeks after his 10st weight loss gave him the confidence to start dating. And he believes a doctor’s referral for a discounted gym membership saved his life and put an end to his takeaway and doughnut binges. Tom managed to lose weight after his GP sent him to local authority fitness facilities in the Glasgow Club via the Live Active Scheme. He said: “I have Asperger’s syndrome and had some other health issues in the past but I grew up very obese. High school was a tough time for me so I always turned to binge eating.
“I tried to lose weight before but never really took it seriously. My mother died when I was 21 and I definitely lost all hope.
“In 2015, I weighed about 24 stone and was on my way to getting diabetes. I was struggling with back pain and other problems like that.
“I had a blood test and they found liver cells in my blood which meant I had a fatty liver. Visceral fat was surrounding my liver and causing scarring, which was putting me at risk of getting diabetes, hepatitis, cirrhosis and other things. My parents always told me to listen to doctors because they’ve always helped me with my Asperger’s. My GP referred me to Glasgow Club to help me lose weight and I managed to lose 10st. You get a concession so it’s much cheaper to go to the gym and swimming. I started with the gym then did swimming too.”
Tom is now working at the same gym that saved him.
He added: “At 25, I went back to college to study fitness and now I’m a PT for Glasgow Club. It completely saved my life. If I didn’t lose the weight, I’d have diabetes, maybe even heart problems.”
He wants to inspire others and said: “It’s not as impossible as it may seem to be. You don’t have to give up all the things you love and that make you happy. You can be healthy and still treat yourself to a Burger King or whatever.”