When Mike McCook found himself tipping the scales at almost 21 stones he knew something had to change. The 33-year-old had always been overweight but the covid lockdown saw his weight balloon to a new high leaving him "depressed and anxious".
Following a break-up from a long-term relationship during the pandemic he says both his physical and mental health began to spiral. He said: "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.
