A man from England, whose doctors warned he'd die within five years if he didn’t lose weight, has shed a whopping 245 pounds (111 kilograms) by increasing his daily steps from 50 to 21,000 per day and cutting Coca-Cola from his life.
Determined to make a change, Bryn Penrose, 48, who once tipped the scales at 425 pounds (193 kilograms) has shed more than half his body weight.
Before his journey to weight loss began, Mr. Penrose’s diet comprised a full English breakfast; crisps and sandwiches for lunch; six cans of coke, chocolate bars, crisps, and biscuits for snacks; and a takeaway, which included either a pizza or Indian food, for tea.
Additionally, Mr. Penrose wasn’t walking enough. He only walked about 50 to 100 steps a day, as his weight and depression prevented him from leaving the house.
“I was stuck at home for four years. I didn’t go out because I was big, but then I was big because I didn’t go out,” he said. “If I went somewhere and someone started laughing, I always assumed they were laughing at me because of my size.”
Reflecting on that time, Mr. Penrose realizes people probably weren’t actually laughing at him, but because he was in a dark place, he assumed they were.
“I was depressed and I would even say that I hated myself,” he said.
Despite knowing he wanted to do something to change the situation, Mr. Penrose didn’t really take any steps until a routine health check in 2021 gave him a jolt. Doctors told him that he was at risk of a fatal heart attack or stroke if he didn’t drastically change his lifestyle.
So, Mr. Penrose began to walk in a circuit around his garden at his home in Leeds, West Yorkshire. He gradually built his steps up, first by walking to the end of the street and back a couple of times a day and then by going to a local park.
Some experts say you need to do at least 10,000 steps a day to reap health benefits such as weight loss, better mobility, and a better mood.
However, Mr. Penrose said at first he was only doing 2,000 steps a day but still started to see a drastic change in his mindset.
He feels like walking “gets rid of all of the everyday stresses.”
“It gives you time to relax and de-stress from life, it’s like a reset,” he said. “I now walk into Leeds city center and back - I used to get taxis and buses everywhere, but now I haven’t been on a bus for a year and a half.”
As well as getting his steps in to lose weight, Mr. Penrose has also made a change in his diet and has cut out bread, pasta, alcohol, and fizzy drinks.
“I researched what I was eating after I went to the doctor and I found out a can of Coke has 12 spoonfuls of sugar in it, which I didn’t know before,” Mr. Penrose said. “I was having six of them a day, which I’m a bit ashamed of now.”
His diet now comprises protein shakes for breakfast and lunch, along with fruit on the side for the afternoon meal. A small bowl of chicken and vegetables for tea, and he has completely eliminated snacks from his diet.
He admitted that he tried to lose weight before through various diets but always struggled. However, since breaking his portions into chunks, it’s been easier to lose weight as he has also been less overwhelmed.
“Instead of thinking that I’ve got to lose loads of weight at a time, I started off by losing 2 stone [28 pounds or 12.7 kilograms] and then 5 stone [70 pounds or 32 kilograms] and then 7 stone [98 pounds or 44.4 kilograms],” Mr. Penrose said.
With the changes he’s made, the father of three now weighs 182 pounds (82.5 kilograms) and has gone from wearing a 9XL in tops to a comfortable XL.
Since losing weight, Mr. Penrose said he has been twice the dad to his three kids, Harry, 17, and twins Charlotte and William, both 13.
“I feel like it’s made me a better dad to my children—it’s made me a lot closer to them, and now I can do stuff with them,” he said. “I can take them to the cinema, but I wouldn’t dare go to a cinema before because the seats were too small, and I couldn’t even fit into them.”
Apart from this, Mr. Penrose has also started to play tennis and football with his children—sports that he says he was unable to play in the past.
“I couldn’t do anything before. I was even using an inhaler from anything between three to five times a day when I was at my biggest,” he said. “I’m really enjoying being able to do stuff with them.”
The only challenge to this new change, he said, is having to go through different clothes, as he’s always having to buy new outfits.
However, he’s been able to donate his old clothes to charity to, hopefully, help someone else who needs them as it’s really hard to buy and afford bigger clothes.
