Man loses 11 stone in 11 months after getting 'addicted' to a single exercise
A man has opened up how he managed to shed a whopping 11 stone in 11 months - and the one exercise he became 'addicted' to.
Daniel Morris - who was 26st and 10lbs at his heaviest - said he 'felt terrible most of the time' and would often feel anxious and depressed because of his weight struggles.
Before the 32-year-old became the head of science at a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school in Nuneaton, he would always worry 'about visibly sweating when walking into college or school'.
While studying at Birmingham University, he admitted that he was 'even worried if I could fit into classroom seats'.
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And his life-long dream of visiting the USA to hike up the Grand Canyon looked like it would never happen.
The image above was taken by R&R Photography.
"Then, of course, there was the mental aspect of it. I was often anxious and depressed," Daniel admitted.
"Any time I went somewhere new, I noticed people treating me differently – it was almost as if they felt they had to tiptoe around me or avoid me altogether.
"But I’d been a larger person for so long, that I felt it had become an unchangeable part of who I was."
However, during his final year at uni, Daniel decided to make a change.
"I was due to travel across America after I completed my degree, and this became a huge inspiration for losing weight," he explained.
"I was worried about everything, from fitting into plane seats, to being out of breath on our planned hikes at the Grand Canyon."
Revealing how he lost the weight, Daniel said: "I lost a stone a month during the 11 months of my final year at university, so I reached my target weight before graduation.
"I started off with workouts consisting of walks, 15 minutes on the static bike and strength training.
"Over time this developed into a full-strength routine, and eventually being able to run long distances.
"In the early days, I slowly built up my distance by running for 30-second intervals at a time. Soon enough, I was addicted.
"I ran my first half marathon in October 2023, and I ran more than 2,000km in total last year."
Daniel has now signed up to participate in the Adidas Manchester Marathon with his wife of five years, taking place on Sunday, 13 April.
“It almost sounds too simple, but the best advice I can give is to just put one foot in front of the other. Set smaller and more manageable goals that then feed into a larger goal and most importantly – believe in yourself," he said.
“I was constantly dismissed as one of those stereotypical 'just big guys', so if I can do it, anyone can.”
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Anish Vij