A man who would binge on ice cream and takeaways was forced to change his lifestyle when doctors warned him he was headed for an early grave. Paul Carpenter, 57, was disgusted with himself when he caught sight of his body in a Selfridges changing room.
At his heaviest of 83kg last summer, he discovered at a routine GP appointment that his dangerous height-to-waist ratio of 62 per cent put him at risk of diabetes, heart disease, or a stroke. And his Cardiovascular Risk Score (QRISK) was more than 20 per cent, meaning he had at least a two in 10 chance of having a stroke or heart attack in the next 10 years.
The shocking statistics led Paul to seek professional help at a gym and embark on a strict exercise and eating regime, where he ended up shredding 20kg and gaining a six-pack. “I felt rubbish all the time, even getting up out of bed was a struggle,” Paul, a construction bidding manager, said.
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“I was seeing a counsellor, I knew I wasn’t in a good place, I was feeling lethargic and depressed. I needed to sort my life out.” Paul didn’t think too much about what he was putting into his body and ordered Chinese, Indian, and kebab takeaways a couple of nights a week.
He devoured whole tubs of ice cream on a regular basis without a second thought and ate pastries for breakfast when he ordered takeout coffee on his way to work. His lunches consisted of sandwich meal deals with crisps.
Slowly, the pounds crept up on him. Already suffering from high blood pressure, blood tests also showed Paul had a non-alcoholic fatty liver, with the prospect of end-stage liver disease.
“I hadn’t been going out much because we were in lockdown, and hardly anyone was in the office,” said Paul. “I was leading a single life, not worrying about dating, so I hadn’t noticed my weight.
“Shops had started to open up again and I thought I’d treat myself to clothes shopping. But when I went into the changing rooms and caught sight of myself in the mirror behind me, I was horrified."
He added: "Being told how unhealthy I was at the doctor's was a rude awakening. I didn’t want to die, and it was self-imposed.” Paul initially cut out his favourite takeaways, but only lasted a week at a time, falling back into old habits.
In need of discipline, he signed up for a fitness regime at Ultimate Performance gym in Spinningfields. Over the next six months, he invested 90 hours of his time to train three times a week, while he purchased healthy ready-meals from the gym chain for his breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
With the help of a personal trainer, he took on a method of weight training known as German Body Composition, which involved deadlifts and Bulgarian split squats, and increased his daily step count to 10,000. As a result, Paul lost more than 20kg in weight and lost 20 per cent of his body fat.
Paul, from Blackley, north Manchester, has managed to maintain a similar weight despite coming off the programme earlier this year in February. A recent liver ultrasound scan showed he has also lost the hidden visceral fat wrapped around his liver that could have killed him.
“The diet was key,” Paul explained. “The meals were packed with veg and were high in protein. I also gave up drink for 12 weeks.
“I was noticing a change in my weight by the end of the first week. I didn’t really have cravings because the food was so tasty.
“If I knew I was going out, I’d make mindful choices, and effectively ‘borrow’ calories from one day to the next, and I still do that now."
Paul continued: "I don’t see it as a diet. Towards the end of the programme I was eating 2,000 calories a day, and I don’t calorie count now as I know what to have.
“If I fancy a slice of cake or have a couple of beers I will, but it’s in moderation." Paul, who transformed his spare room into a home gym, still works out a couple of times a week and squeezes in lunges during quick breaks in the office if no one is about.
On his transformation, Paul said: "Ciaran (his PT) saved my life. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I have more 'get up and go' - I just do things now, I don't second guess and just crack on.
"I've come off all medication and even my counsellor says they've noticed a difference in my whole demeanour, and I'm seeing them less often now.
"I'm full of energy and my mind is much more alert. My boss can see the transformation, I'm more upbeat, and has put me forward to be a mentor, which I couldn’t have dreamed of doing before."
After watching a Netflix documentary, Paul is now trying out veganism, and is learning how to cook fresh vegan meals. "I've been giving it a try, for health reasons, and I've noticed my energy levels have gone up even more."
