Moment OF TRUTH

Nick Else, 32, from Chorely, didn’t think his weight was a problem, but he saw the truth…

Settling down in front of the telly, I couldn’t wait to tuck into my delicious Mcdonald’s burger.

And as the meat and melted cheese hit my tongue, I felt that familiar rush of satisfaction.

I devoured it in minutes, and washed it down with a large portion of fries and a Coke.

Half an hour later, I was hungry again, rummaging through the kitchen cupboards for a packet of crisps or some biscuits.

Of course, I knew that my eating habits were far from healthy, but I’d been following this routine from the time I was about 16. As a child, I was fit and healthy. I loved PE lessons at school and often played football with my mates in the afternoons.

But after leaving to go off to college, my new-found independence took its toll.

With no one around to keep an eye on me, I was eating up to six packets of crisps a day, and snacking on chocolate bars in between my large meals – usually takeaways. And with no more PE lessons, I wasn’t getting any exercise, either. As a result, I piled on the weight. But my bad habits had set in, and, leaving college to work as a graphic designer, I just didn’t have the time – or the willpower – to do anything about my increasing weight.

It was only when I was 29 that I started having trouble with my shoulder and back.

‘It just aches all the time,’ I moaned to my girlfriend Cassie, 23.

Going to my GP, I asked him to refer me to a physiotherapist, but I was told there was a six-month waiting list.

‘Have you thought about losing some weight?’ he asked me.

To be honest, I hadn’t even thought about my weight – I was just there for help with my back pain.

I didn’t have any intention of losing weight.

‘I’d like to do a blood test,’ my doctor said, looking concerned. And I was shocked

when he gave me the results.

‘You’re pre-diabetic,’ he told me. ‘And your blood pressure is also very high, which is putting your heart at risk.’

Stepping on the scales, I was dealt another blow. I weighed 21 stone. ‘You need to lose weight,’ my doctor told me sternly.

I knew that I’d piled on the pounds over the years, but I had no idea I’d become so big.

I’d been in complete denial for years.

To give me a head start, my GP put me on a regime with Active Nation, a local gym.

Knowing my health was now at risk, I started going.

I started slowly, walking on the treadmill and using the exercise bike as best I could.

And, in just two weeks, I’d lost a staggering 10lb.

‘You’re doing great!’ Cassie encouraged me.

My initial weight loss gave me the motivation to carry on, and in the first three months, I did about 25 minutes on the exercise bike every day after work.

Then I managed to push that up to 30 minutes a day.

I was motivated to change my diet, too, cutting out all fast food, and making home cooked meals from scratch instead. It was hard at first. I was so used to just eating what I wanted, when I wanted, so this was a big change.

So I came up with a colour coding system – I’d put little chocolates in a bag, and if I managed to do 40 minutes at the gym, I’d reward myself with one. back and shoulder were getting better all the time.

Going back to my GP a year later, I was told that the pain had been caused by muscle weakness, so my hard work at the gym had solved the problem – no physio needed!

Even better, a blood test revealed my blood pressure was down and I was no longer pre-diabetic.

But then came the dreaded moment of truth…

‘Let’s get you on the scale,’ my doctor said.

And I was astounded – I’d lost 150lb – half of my body weight!

Joining Active Nation has really turned my life around.

Today, I train five times a week, and last September, I even qualified as a training coach.

My diet is now a huge thing for me, too.

I keep a routine of eating clean for the most part, and allow myself a small cheat treat on the weekends.

My weight loss has been such a positive thing.

Before, even walking seemed like a chore.

I was a sports fan, but I couldn’t play any sport.

Now I’m fit and healthy, and I couldn’t be happier.

I feel like I can do anything now.