How I Ran It Off
Ed Horton has lost an astonishing 15st 8lb
BEFORE
At school I was always the fat lad in the class who just kept getting bigger. My downfall was eating huge portions of the wrong food at the wrong time.
I often had chocolate for breakfast and big takeaways for lunch and dinner. When I started work as a welder (I’m now an engineer), my eating habits became worse: big fry-ups for breakfast, the chippy for lunch – washed down with a fizzy drink – followed by dinner in the pub with a few pints of beer.
At my largest, I had a 64in waist and wore 5XXXXXL T-shirts. Even though I was a heart attack waiting to happen – I was almost 30st – I just kept on eating.
THE TURNAROUND
My partner, Kelly, and I had been saving for eight years to buy our first house together. After putting in an offer on a property in June 2017, the mortgage company insisted I had a medical before offering me life insurance. It found my blood pressure was very high because of my weight, so the insurance premium would have been huge.
It was the wake-up call I needed.
I wanted to live a long life with Kelly and not die before I was 45. I knew that slimming clubs weren’t for me, so I went to see a nutritionist, because I just didn’t know what eating healthily was. Luckily, I’m not a fussy eater and will eat anything – except cucumber – so I started eating lots more fruit, vegetables and home-cooked meals. I cut down on carbohydrates and reduced my sugar intake, too. I now start every day with a bowl of Greek yoghurt and fruit.
Later that same summer, I began exercising with an evening walk. After we bought our house, in November 2017, I joined the nearby gym where I did a 2km walk on the treadmill three times a week. I then increased it to a jog. I lost over a stone in the first month of exercising and it continued to rapidly come off.
I became more confident and
increased my mileage. I entered the Cannock Chase 10K – my first ever race – last October, when I was down to around 14st. My biggest fear was coming last in the race, but I finished about halfway and was happy with my time. My goal this year is to run my first full marathon.
THE FUTURE
I have lost more than half my weight in less than three years. I now wear 34in jeans and have a 42in chest.
I still enjoy the occasional treat because chocolate’s my weakness, but not four bars in an evening, like I once did.
When I look at a pair of my massive old trousers that I still keep in my wardrobe, I can hardly believe I was once that big before I began running.