‘If it wasn’t for the gym I wouldn’t be here now’
INSPIRATIONAL MAN LOSES 8ST IN JUST EIGHT MONTHS
AN inspirational Grimsby man who said he was on the “verge of suicide” after suffering a relationship breakdown has turned his life around by losing an incredible 8st in just eight months.
Harry Smith, 37, suffered with severe anxiety and depression after his relationship ended last year. But after going on a walk with a friend where she gave him lifechanging advice, and talking through his problems at Andy’s Man Club, he decided to join the gym, and has not looked back since.
Initially weighing 28st 10lbs, Harry said it was difficult to adapt to a new diet after “bingeing” on energy drinks, crisps and chocolate for years, and suffered with withdrawal symptoms at first.
But determined to change his life, he stuck to his new, healthier way of eating and continued to train at the gym every day,
I used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day, binge on Monster drinks, crisps, chocolate and Haribo and go on nights out at the weekend. Harry Smith
seeing a drastic improvement to his mental health in the process.
Harry told Grimsby Live: “When my relationship ended, I was on the verge of suicide. My best mate has two dogs and she took me out on a walk and just said, ‘Harry, you need to change your life and get yourself better’, and it spurred me on to change my life. I went to Andy’s Man Club and they helped me through my mental health struggles, and I decided to join the gym from there. “It was hard at first to change my diet, it felt like I was on rations. I used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day, binge on Monster drinks, crisps, chocolate and Haribo and go on nights out at the weekend. I had withdrawal symptoms at first because my body was drawn to those things that much, but it’s all about mind over matter. I just wanted to do this for myself.” Eight months on, Harry now weighs 20st 3lbs - equal to losing a stone a month - and has never felt better.
“I do this for my mental health, if I don’t go to the gym regularly my mental health deteriorates. I follow a programme at the gym of cardio and weights,” he said. “People say to me, ‘you’ve lost so much weight’, but it’s hard to see it on myself. I still look at myself and still see the old me. But if it wasn’t for the gym I wouldn’t be here now, and if it wasn’t for the support of my friends and girlfriend I wouldn’t be here now. My goal is to get down to about 15 stone.”