Obese dad is 'unrecognisable' after shedding almost half his weight - he took a common medication NOT weight-loss jabs
A father-of-two nicknamed 'Big Dan' has shifted more than 10 stone and looks unrecognisable—after antidepressants gave him motivation to turn his life around.
Dan Shilling, 39, weighed 26 stone in late 2022, when he was at his lowest ebb.
The electricial technician, who works offshore, was struggling with being away from his family and often encountered workplace bullying.
As a result, he'd often turn to food for comfort.
'Being a typical man, instead of talking about my issues I spiralled and tried to find comfort in food,' said Mr Shilling, who lives in Norfolk.
'It led me to piling on the weight and becoming an unpleasant person.'
The calorific food served at the facility where he worked didn't help. The meals provided included a full English breakfast, bacon rolls, lasagne for lunch, biscuits and cake in the afternoon, and shepherd's pie or steak for dinner.
He said his exercise was 'non-existent'.
At this point, Mr Shilling was also putting away a 1,200-calorie Marabou chocolate bar every night, resulting in his heaviest weight of 26st 1lbs.
'Everything that could go wrong was going wrong,' he said. 'I wasn't really there, I was just existing.'
After an open and honest conversation with his partner Emma, Mr Shilling decided to visit his GP for a consultation about his mood.
The doctor diagnosed him with depression and prescribed antidepressants.
Within a few months the fog began to lift for Mr Shilling—helped by a change in his job; working on a gas platform in the East Irish Sea, flying out of Blackpool.
His weight was the final challenge.
One day in December 2023, he began 'pouring with sweat and out of breath' while at work and walking just 50 metres from the terminal building to a helicopter.
He said he found it difficult to fasten his seat belt in the helicopter and, at this point, he thought: 'This is enough.'
He then signed up to the popular football weight loss scheme, Man v Fat Football, along with the Couch to 5K programme, and made a commitment to change his life from January 2024.
About 8,500 men currently take part at more than 150 Man v Fat Football clubs across the UK.
'I made a promise to myself that I would no longer be the heaviest person on the team,' he said.
He started counting his calories and monitoring his portions at work, and he focused on increasing his daily step count.
Within the first three months, he said he lost 3st 4lbs and, to date, he has lost nearly 11 stone.
Mr Shilling now weighs about 15st 6lbs and is able to wear clothes from when he was 20 years old again.
'I haven't had to buy a new wardrobe because I've still got my old one,' he said.
He added that he feels 'loads better' and can now be a better partner to his girlfriend and father to his two children – Betsy, five, and Elsie, four months.
He has also taken up running and he plans to take part in the Rome Marathon 2026 to celebrate turning 40.
While he still enjoys sweet treats and fast-food on occasion, he now has a healthier lifestyle and is no longer taking antidepressants.
Asked for his advice to others, he said: 'Just stick to the basics – calories in versus calories out. That's all I've done.
'I'd be happy eating a KFC as long as I go for a run to cancel it out and I've got the calories spare.
'I've actually got a folder on my phone, I've got an album called Fat Me.
'Looking back at everything from then to now, you realise how far you've come.
'It's unbelievable. I still can't believe it myself.'
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