A man who shed 100lbs says it's completely changed his life - and his incurable skin condition now feels "better than ever." Ryan Russell, 27, has suffered with psoriasis since he was a teenager - leaving him feeling embarrassed about his body. And he says he's always struggled with his weight and, during lockdown, he spiralled out of control.
He reached his heaviest weight of 136kg in August 2020. But after taking inspiration from a soap actor, he decided to put in the effort to change. And now, two-and-a half years later, he's lost a third of his bodyweight and, as a result, his psoriasis has improved.
Ryan said: "I'd always been overweight, and my psoriasis diagnosis made me feel even more self-conscious. "But in lockdown I decided enough was enough, and after losing 46kg, my condition is now better than ever." At 16, Ryan noticed red patches of scaly skin develop on his body.
After going to the doctors, he was diagnosed with psoriasis - a common, long-term skin disease with no cure. As the condition worsened, Ryan found it difficult to deal with and, in lockdown, he began piling on the pounds. He began eating uncontrollably, and, by August 2020, he weighed 136kg, and was dangerously overweight.
But, after reading a newspaper article about Coronation Street actor Colson Smith's weight loss journey, he found the motivation to change. Ryan, who works in administration, said: "Throughout my late teens and early 20s, I just got heavier and heavier. I have an office job, so I was sitting down all the time and eating four meals a day.
"I did no exercise, and then we went into lockdown, which didn't help matters. By August, I weighed a massive 136kg, and looking in the mirror was a real struggle. I realised if I didn't change my lifestyle soon, I'd reach a point of no going back, so with the help of my girlfriend, I began my weight loss journey."
Previously, Ryan would binge daily on McDonald's, pizza and kebabs. He'd snack continuously throughout the day and ate far more than his body ever needed.
But he decided to trade takeaways for a low calorie diet and meals which are rich in protein and fibre. These include chicken and rice, low fat chilli con carne and steak and potatoes with mountains of veg. Along with completely changing his diet, he also created a strict fitness regime with the help of his long-term girlfriend.
This included running 15k a week and daily visits to the gym to lift weights. As the months passed, he lost more and more weight, and two and a half years later he is thrilled with his new look. He now weighs a healthy 90kg, and since shedding the pounds, has noticed a significant improvement with his skin.
Ryan says his psoriasis has now faded in several areas, and, the patches that are still there, are far less profound. He said: "It took a lot for me to commit to my weight loss, but once I got into a routine, I never looked back. I ditched the takeaways and excessive snacking for a low calorie diet and discovered the benefits physical and mental benefits of exercise.
"As I started to get results and lose more weight, I began to love myself again. My psoriasis was at its worst when I was at my heaviest, and when I changed my lifestyle, my condition started to clear up. It's not completely gone and I've been told it never will - but the difference between now and lockdown is amazing.
"And, I owe a lot to my girlfriend of ten years, who's been with me through thick and thin. She was there supporting me every step of the way, and I couldn't have done it without her."
For weight loss inspiration visit Ryan's TikTok page at https://in.tiktok.com/@rjrussellfitness.
