Bus driver’s 13st weight loss after binge eating disorder took over his life – The Sun
TIPPING the scales at nearly 26 stone, Iain McLeod knew he desperately needed to change something in his life.
The bus driver, 33, had hit "rock bottom" and had become severely depressed with feelings of "self loathing, self pity and self hate".
Doctors had warned Iain he had "one foot in the grave".
He was plagued with health problems including high blood pressure, sleep apnoea and lower back pain caused by sciatica.
But, Iain's reality check came when he was getting fitted for some new work trousers – and discovered he needed a whopping, size 50 waist.
Determined to do something about his weight, Iain, from Dundee in Scotland, decided to go vegan and start going to the gym three days a week.
The dad-of-two has since shed an incredible 13 stone and dropped 20 inches of his waist – and he is now happier than ever in his new trim physique.
He told The Sun Online: "Rock bottom isn't the end.
"If you let it it can be the foundation to form the greatest growth of your life. And that's what I did.
"Fear has two meanings and two paths.
"Forget everything and run or face everything and rise. I had done the top one for far too long.
"I am now, without a shadow of a doubt, the happiest I've ever been. That person before wasn't me."
Prior to this, Iain had severe mental health problems and had become so low he began to "hate himself".
It came following a fractured relationship with his father and the only way he could find comfort was by gorging on food.
He said: "My diet before was absolutely terrible.
"Looking back I can say I had real mental health problems – depression, self loathing, self pity, self hate.
"I never loved myself.
"I had yo-yo dieted all my life and I couldn't sustain a positive change no matter how hard I tried.
"I was holding on to so much negative trauma and energy from childhood.
"I had a terrible fractured relationship with my dad.
"We haven't actually spoken for over seven years now.
"And it was definitely the best decision I made.
"Negative people are negative. Regardless of the value they hold in your life."
Iain had also faced constant warnings from his doctors due to his poor health – with them even predicting he would be dead before he turned 40.
He said: "I had many warnings from the doctors.
"I had sleep apnoea, high blood pressure which I needed blood pressure tablets for and I was only in my late twenties.
"I had chronic quadricep tendonitis in my right knee, plantar fasciitis in both my feet, I slipped a disc in my back which resulted in sciatica for a few months.
"I could barely walk around the shops or up a flight of stairs without being exhausted.
"Playing with my kids at the park was such a demanding task. I hated myself.
"The doctor told me I had one foot in the grave and I wouldn't see 40.
"I was also up until the age of 28 a heavy smoker, having 20 a day and a heavy binge drinker. I did drugs regularly."
Iain's diet
BEFORE
Breakfast: Two cheese sandwiches
Lunch: Three cheese sandwiches, salt and pepper chips and a litre of red bull
Dinner: Fried rice, noodles, curry sauce and a litre or iron bru
Snack: Sweets
AFTER
Breakfast: Porridge with a banana and date syrup
Lunch: Salad with tofu and lots of herbs and spices
Dinner: Wholemeal pasta or rice with soya mince and chopped tomatoes
Snack: Fruit and nuts
As well as struggling to spend time with his children, Iain was also struggling to clean himself.
He added: "I was struggling to clean myself in the shower and after the toilet.
"As a man at 30 not being able to do a simple task like cleaning himself properly. That was really rock bottom."
Iain decided to undergo three months of intense counselling which he says "galvanised" his weight loss journey.
He said: "I was so broken. I had to change my approach to my weight and life.
"I kept asking myself how to lose weight and I kept failing.
"I had to ask myself why was I this weight in the first place?
"Why have I been overweight my whole life? Why am I broken?
"Counselling gave me the answers and tools I needed to reconnect to my inner child.
"It give me the closure and validation I needed to move on and not be controlled by hate, self loathing and all those other prison like emotions."
Iain then set off on completely overhauling his lifestyle – giving up smoking, alcohol and drugs completely.
He also went vegan and started exercising and soon saw the pounds dropping off.
He said: "I lost the weight on my own, no doctors, no weight loss classes, no personal trainers, no dietitian nothing.
"Just me, my mind and sheer determination.
"I went on a plant-based diet and I went to the gym three days a week doing a hour of cardio then a hour weight training after three months of this I then added swimming into my week.
"I was then going to the gym three days a week and did 50 lengths twice a week.
"I also don't eat after 8pm. It's called intermittent fasting."
Iain is now happier and fitter than ever – and even took part in a Spartan beast race on Saturday.
He now exercises six days a week and has conquered several Beachbody Insanity programmes like Original insanity, Insanity max 30 and Insanity Asylum Volume 2.
And he's keen to encourage other people to follow in his footsteps and lose weight – advising other slimmers to fall "in love" with the process.
He said: "You have to fall in love with the process. Once you do this the end result is irrelevant.
"I love my lifestyle and exercise programme. You must be consistent.
"If the mind is willing then the body is able. Struggle makes you stronger.
"You've gotta get comfortable with being uncomfortable
"You've got to really look inside yourself and discover who you really are.
"You've got to be able to stare nakedly at your faults and be willing to push through them to becoming the best version of you."
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