A father from Wales who put on four stone in just six months has shared the story of his incredible transformation from 'dad bod' to 'beach body' physique competitor.
Sion Monty, from Welsh coastal town Porthmadog, watched his weight spiral out of his control as the stress of becoming a dad for the first time and managing his three businesses took its toll on his normally healthy lifestyle.
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Sion said he became motivated to lose weight after he hit 16st. He was particularly keen to look the part because of his line of work - 30-year-old Sion owns a gym, a fitness supplement company and a gymwear clothing line.
He said: "I didn't want to be a fat dad. I looked in the mirror and realised that if I wanted to live a long life and see my son live his life I needed to change.
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"I was so body conscious and maybe a bit embarrassed because I was known as a fit guy."
He had initially gained weight after his first year of university where his weight climbed to 15st 7lb in 2011. He lost all his weight in one summer after his friends from home called him fat and he set up his businesses 'The Student Diet', 'Muscle Morph' and 'WTF Gymwear'.
He said that before his administrator partner Kara gave birth to their son Tedi in July last year he had not counted on how much becoming a father would zap his energy and how much of his life it would take up - including the time he dedicated to staying fit and healthy.
He said he piled on the weight by eating up to five takeaways a week.
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Sion said: "Before my son arrived it was my girlfriend, work and the gym - that was it."
"I ate quite well and enjoyed the odd takeaway at the weekend. I totally underestimated how much having a child actually takes over your life.
"My family came first, then my businesses and soon going to the gym and fitness went out the back door.
"My baby suffered with reflux, he never slept, we were always tired, we didn't have any time for cooking, and it was really hard work."
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Sion soon realised that if he was going to make time to lose weight, he was going to have to involve his young son. So he started out doing daily runs, hill sprints and long walks - all while pushing his son in his pram.
He said: "I knew I had to involve Tedi in getting fit if I was going to fit it in, while spending time with him. You should have seen how much he laughed at his dad jogging up the hills.
"He loves birds, so I would choose walks and runs where he there were lots of birds for us to spot together."
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It was last Christmas that Sion decided he needed to do something to counteract his weight gain. So, as well as his exercise with his son, he assigned himself an 'eating window' of time between midday and 6pm, fasting for the other 18 hours of the day, to encourage his body to burn fat.
He ate around 2,000 calories a day and exercised six times a week. Now Sion says is in better shape than ever and weighs 12st 10lb.
He said: "I've never been happier than I am now. I love being a dad, and I'm happy with my body. I feel like a different person."
After shedding his 'dad bod', Sion is now due to compete in a 'beach body' physique competition and intends to write a book about his transformation.Featured Image Credit: SWNSTopics: Community, Fitness, Health