A Northern Ireland man who went through an incredible feat of self-transformation, says after being known as "the big guy" for his entire life, he wanted to change that.
Mike McCook, from Ballymena, weighed over 21 stone when he was at his heaviest. The 33-year-old was left depressed and anxious due to his weight problems, which became worse during lockdown in 2020.
Speaking about why he kick-started his new life, and the changes he made to his diet, Mike said he searched for low-calorie alternatives to incorporate into his meals.
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“For 31 of my 33 years I had always been heavier and never imagined I would be anything else," he said.
"This was always around the 18-19 stone mark. During the first UK lockdown in 2020, my weight ballooned even further up to nearly 21 stone."
As Mike put more weight on during the Covid-19 pandemic, during which he suffered a break-up from a long-term relationship, his physical and mental health began to spiral.
"I would spend my days gorging on take-outs and snacking at every possible opportunity. If I managed to go for a walk, I’d reward myself with a takeaway and ruin any chance of the exercise actually having an effect on my body.
"My brain wanted me to be unhealthy - it wanted me to reward myself for doing something small with an enormous meal and I felt like no matter what, I’d always be the big guy. I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression for most of my life because of my weight and it has always made me feel like I don’t belong anywhere.
"I felt like people were judging me at every turn, but not nearly as much as I was judging myself."
He eventually realised that something had to change, quickly, and so began the start of his exciting new health and fitness journey. He started tracking what he was eating and bought an exercise bike, which he used every day without fail.
Mike also hailed coming across The Skinny Food Co, which he says allowed him to stay within the lines of his new, liberating diet plan.
The Skinny Food Co range features over 300 "great tasting, healthier alternative products" from sauces and syrups, to high protein, low sugar snacks, cooking sprays, flavoured coffees, fakeaway sauces and meals.
He added: "I lost seven stone in my first year solely through the use of an exercise bike and by sticking to my new diet.
"I knew that I wouldn’t always be motivated, so I only allowed myself to watch my favourite TV shows whilst on the bike - this is called ‘habit stacking’ and it’s really useful for keeping up consistency. You have to find ways to make your goals seem as attractive as possible and it’ll help you stick to them.
"Not once have I felt like I’m on a diet either. I incorporated The Skinny Food Co into all my cooking, meaning I never missed out on my favourite meals, but this time they were all cooked with low-calorie alternatives.
"I’m also a huge coffee lover and used to drink cup after cup, each one filled with copious amounts of sugar - now, however, I use the Skinny Food Co’s Sugar-Free Barista Syrups and highly recommend others do the same to satisfy their sweet-tooth cravings.
"I didn’t notice the difference in taste, but the calorie difference and savings I’m making is huge. The wide variety of flavours – from Salted Caramel to French Vanilla - is something that’s definitely let me continue to enjoy my favourite coffees too.
"Whenever I get hungry late at night, I use the Skinny Food Co’s low-sugar chocolate spread on toast for a nice low-calorie snack. It’s all about making healthy substitutions - I can’t believe it’s been so simple all this time.
"I realised that, after my break-up, I had to focus on something to stay grounded and I’m so happy I chose self-improvement. I had friends and family pointing out the changes in my body, and this in turn changed the way I acted.
"I felt my confidence grow as I began to need smaller sized clothing and my mental health began to improve day-by-day as people began to look at me differently”.
Now with a desire to help others with their own weight-loss journeys, Mike shares his tips for those wanting to kick-start a change in their own lives.
He said: "The best advice I can give is to start small and work your way upwards - by that I mean you don’t need to start on day one with a 10k run and 20,000 steps. Start tracking your calories and how many steps you do per day, as these are the two things you can truly manage.
"Above all, be consistent. One bad week or a few boozy weekends doesn’t mean you’ve fallen off the wagon and they certainly don’t leave you back at square one. Just get back to it the next day and over time you’ll see changes start to appear.
"You can lose just as much weight from walking and maintaining a good diet as you can from using a gym every day - it’s just about finding what works best for you.
"Most importantly, stop resisting the urge to eat and start incorporating healthy alternatives into your diet. I’m a new person now and could not be happier with the way things are. I’m so ready to see what life has in store for me now I’m physically and mentally healthier than ever before."
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