A 25-stone dad who drank six litres of Irn-Bru a day has ditched his habit and shed 8st.
James O’Donnell, 49, was diagnosed with depression in his late 40s and fizzy drinks, crisps and pizzas became a comfort.
Labourer James saw his weight soar as he gorged on fry-ups, takeaways and greasy chips.
But when the dad of three developed type 2 diabetes, he vowed to take control of his weight and health. James has now lost 8st in 10 months.
James, from Lennoxtown, near Glasgow, said: “My weight just went up and up. As it did, my mood declined and my depression got worse. If I had a bad day, I’d have a take away spicy chicken pizza, chips and pakora washed down with big bottles of Irn Bru.
“My weight made my depression worse but I’d take to comfort eating and eat a whole packet of biscuits or a multi-pack of crisps in one sitting.
“My back killed me, I needed an inhaler every day and I couldn’t walk more than 20ft without getting out of breath.
“One day I just decided I’d had enough. Since that day I’ve never looked back.” In August 2018, James joined Slimming World and signed up at his local gym.
He lost just under a stone a month and now he works out at the gym four times a week.
James said: “I’ve never felt better or been fitter. Because of my health, I had to give up work but since I started slimming, I’ve never had to use my inhaler and I’m looking for a job.
“Now I have much more confidence and I’m much happier. I never want to go back to the way I was.”
