5 days ago
'I ate 13 times a day and weighed 27stone, but I found the answer'
'I ate 13 times a day and weighed 27stone, but I found the answer'
As well as intermittent fasting and exercising Tomas gave up one thing - and it has changed his life
Story from Jam Press (Weight Loss Transformation) Pictured: Tomas Marks before with his friend, Ken Richard. I weighed 27 STONE and couldn't fit in chairs on dates now Ive found love after friends advice changed my life' A security officer who weighed over 27 stone has revealed he has found love after years of being too big to fit in chairs or go on dates. Tomas Marks, 25, says he was constantly out of breath and battling crippling anxiety due to his size. At his heaviest, he weighed just over 27 stone and says even sitting in booths at restaurants became a source of shame. But after a friend recommended a weight loss programme, Tomas completely transformed his life. And now, after years of disappointing dates, hes found a truly wonderful woman who makes him feel like himself. I've had too many embarrassing moments in my past to list them, Tomas told What's The Jam. The main ones happened when I was out in public and I was too big to do an activity, or when out in a bar or a restaurant and I didn't fit in the chairs or struggled to get into booths. That really embarrassed me and made me feel terrible about myself. The airport security officer from Christchurch, Dorset, explained how his size affected every part of his life, from his mobility to his mental health. He said, I felt terrible both physically and emotionally. I really stood out when out in public, which caused me to have really bad anxiety due to the fear that everyone was looking at me and judging me for my size. Tomas admits his eating habits had spiralled out of control, with a typical day involving not just three meals but constant snacking in between. He said: Id have three meals plus around 10 snacks throughout the day, which, looking back, is wildly unnecessary. A full day of eating back then was easily 3,500 to 4000+ calories. My snacking was truly out of control. I would find myself in bed regularly at 11 pm and just suddenly feel the need to go and raid the cupboards in the kitchen. It was like a quick trip to a drive-thru or a whole bag of Doritos and a whole pot of dip. My worst snacking was always really late at night, which is something I heavily avoid these days. I'd go out for a meal with friends and after dropping them all home, I'd get myself something from McDonalds on the way home. Eating was sort of a coping mechanism for me, and it was a short-term fix to make me feel slightly better. After years of feeling hopeless, a friend suggested he try MAN v FAT, a UK weight loss programme for men that combines weekly football matches with support to help players lose weight. The decision marked the beginning of a major transformation - one that led to Tomas shedding an incredible 9.3 stone. The 25-year-old credits the club and intermittent fasting for his weight loss success. He said: I rekindled my love for the sport and for playing in goal, which was something I hadn't done since my time playing youth football. I also adopted an intermittent fasting routine between the hours of 8 pm and 11 am the next day. Fasting is something I would highly recommend. Tomas says cutting out alcohol and learning to meal prep also massively contributed to his weight loss success. He said, I still focus on portion control and making sure the meals all have balanced macros. I did meal prep a lot at the height of my diet, so I knew exactly what I was eating and how many calories were in things. And as the weight came off, Tomas says his self-worth grew. He said: The first signs that it was working were when I was no longer feeling tired after doing tasks that would've had me exhausted before. Friends and people who I worked with noticed and asked if I'd lost weight, which was a really big boost to my confidence. I had always struggled with clothes and brought the majority of my clothes from online shops that specialised in bigger men, but the biggest change for me was being able to buy normal clothes in any shop. I remember a specific moment when I was trying on jeans in a changing room. I put them on and realised that they were now fitted. I couldn't help but get a bit emotional and felt an immense wave of pride. And after years of unsuccessful dating attempts, Tomas says hes also finally found happiness in a relationship. He said, "I had tried dating on and off throughout the years, but due to my size and lack of confidence, I had little to no success. It really demoralised me and made me feel hopeless about myself. I've only just recently had some success, and I've managed to find myself a truly wonderful person, Faye, whom I just clicked with. I feel comfortable even with my anxiety issues. "Dating was a big change for me. Gradually over the course of my weight loss, I slowly built up my confidence to the point where I was comfortable with being able to go out and meet new people." But Tomas says the biggest change of all has been in his mindset. He added: When I look in the mirror, I see a completely different person from what I was before. Before, when I looked at myself, I hated myself and the way I looked. Now Im happy and Im more confident in myself. ENDS EDITOR'S NOTE: Video Usage Licence: (EXCLUSIVE) We have obtained an exclusive licence from the copyright holder. A copy of the licence is available on request. Video Restrictions: None.
A security guard who weighed over 27 stone and was so big he couldn't fit into restaurant booths says his size made his so anxious he couldn't even go on daytes. But Tomas Marks, 25, has now found love after losing more than nine stone.
Tomas says he was 'constantly out of breath' and battling crippling anxiety due to his size, until a friend recommended one weight-loss programme.
Tomas said: 'I've had too many embarrassing moments in my past to list them. The main ones happened when I was out in public and I was too big to do an activity, or when out in a bar or a restaurant and I didn't fit in the chairs or struggled to get into booths.
'That really embarrassed me and made me feel terrible about myself.'
Tomas Marks before his weight los
The airport security officer from Christchurch, Dorset, explained how his size affected every part of his life, from his mobility to his mental health. He said: 'I felt terrible both physically and emotionally. I really stood out when out in public, which caused me to have really bad anxiety due to the fear that everyone was looking at me and judging me for my size.'
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Tomas admits his eating habits had spiralled out of control, with a typical day involving not just three meals but constant snacking in between. He said: 'I'd have three meals plus around 10 snacks throughout the day, which, looking back, is wildly unnecessary.
'A full day of eating back then was easily 3,500 to 4000+ calories. My snacking was truly out of control. I would find myself in bed regularly at 11pm and just suddenly feel the need to go and raid the cupboards in the kitchen.
'It was like a quick trip to a drive-thru or a whole bag of Doritos and a whole pot of dip. My worst snacking was always really late at night, which is something I heavily avoid these days.
'I'd go out for a meal with friends and after dropping them all home, I'd get myself something from McDonald's on the way home. Eating was sort of a coping mechanism for me, and it was a short-term fix to make me feel slightly better.'
Tomas weighed 27 stone
After years of feeling 'hopeless,' a friend suggested he try MAN v FAT, a UK weight loss programme for men that combines weekly football matches with support to help players lose weight. The decision marked the beginning of a major transformation - one that led to Tomas shedding an incredible 9.3 stone.
The 25-year-old credits the club and intermittent fasting for his weight loss success. He said: 'I rekindled my love for the sport and for playing in goal, which was something I hadn't done since my time playing youth football.
'I also adopted an intermittent fasting routine between the hours of 8 pm and 11 am the next day. Fasting is something I would highly recommend.'
Tomas says cutting out alcohol and learning to meal prep also massively contributed to his weight loss success. He said, 'I still focus on portion control and making sure the meals all have balanced macros.
Tomas joined a weight loss and fitness programme
'I did meal prep a lot at the height of my diet, so I knew exactly what I was eating and how many calories were in things.'
And as the weight came off, Tomas says his self-worth grew. He said: 'The first signs that it was working were when I was no longer feeling tired after doing tasks that would've had me exhausted before.
'Friends and people who I worked with noticed and asked if I'd lost weight, which was a really big boost to my confidence. I had always struggled with clothes and brought the majority of my clothes from online shops that specialised in bigger men, but the biggest change for me was being able to buy normal clothes in any shop.
'I remember a specific moment when I was trying on jeans in a changing room. I put them on and realised that they now fitted. I couldn't help but get a bit emotional and felt an immense wave of pride.'
Tomas Marks with his partner Faye Morgan
And after years of unsuccessful dating attempts, Tomas says he's also finally found happiness in a relationship. He said, "I had tried dating on and off throughout the years, but due to my size and lack of confidence, I had little to no success.
'It really demoralised me and made me feel hopeless about myself. I've only just recently had some success, and I've managed to find myself a truly wonderful person, Faye, whom I just clicked with. I feel comfortable even with my anxiety issues. Dating was a big change for me.
'Gradually over the course of my weight loss, I slowly built up my confidence to the point where I was comfortable with being able to go out and meet new people."
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Tomas Marks now
But Tomas says the biggest change of all has been in his mindset. He added: 'When I look in the mirror, I see a completely different person from what I was before. Before, when I looked at myself, I hated myself and the way I looked. Now I'm happy and I'm more confident in myself.'
