A morbidly obese man who was so depressed by his weight he had planned to take his own life has shed an astonishing 24 stone.
In just a year and a half Neil Sharp turned his life around.
After splitting with his wife, partly because of his weight, and being unable to enjoy his life, he spiralled into a depression.
But his ex-wife Suzanne, who had lost weight herself after becoming a diet consultant, promised to help him shed the pounds after he hit rock bottom in March 2018.
Topping the scales at a massive 40 stone, he tried the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan and has since been crowned their Man of the Year.
And the 38-year-old has even found love again.
Neil, a dispatch scheduler, said: “I was nearly 40 stone when I wanted to take my own life and had a BMI of 74, I didn’t want to live the life I was living at the time.
"I weighed so much I couldn't get an accurate reading from the scales.
“It effected every element of life, it more or less ended my marriage and I just didn’t know how I would go on.
“My marriage broke down years before I reached 40 stone, but I stayed on good terms with Suzanne and she wanted to help me because I became suicidal, I thought I needed to at least try.
“My ex was instrumental in my journey, I could call her when I felt like I was going to break and she was always on the other end of the phone and she always gave me healthy options for when I just wanted a snack.
“Everyone was so excited when they could see my weight falling off, it just spurred me on to keep going and it was around this time my girlfriend followed me on Instagram before we got together.
“Now my life is the polar opposite of what it was, I never thought it was possible to make such a big change and thinking back to when I was considering ending it all really makes me want to spread the word that calling it quits is never the answer."
Neil, from Airdrie, Scotland, would gorge on 7,000 calories a day and his diet consisted of three large junk food meals a day, six bags of crisps, four litres of fizzy drinks, a family size cake, three large muffins, sausage rolls and four bars of chocolate a day.
But after just 18 months of following a strict diet, weighs just 16 stone and enjoys shopping for clothes on the high street in a bid to impress his new girlfriend.
Neil said: “I think it’s so important to talk about the mental challenges of food addiction and the way it effects every single element of your life."
After losing some weight herself, Neils ex-wife became a consultant and convinced him to sign up because it would only be her that he would deal with and knew he would trust her.
She realised the help he needed was drastic after explained that he was having suicidal thoughts towards the latter stage of his weight gain.
Suzanne said: “We broke up about 8 years before he reached 40 stone, but he had put on over 10 since our breakup and we still got on so well so I wanted to help him get his life back.”
Neil is now a star amongst his friends and family for the incredible Journey he has been on, smashing is weight to less than half of what it was and reclaiming he life back in the process.
Neil said: “It’s one of the best feelings ever, I can’t really describe it but I feel like I can really have my own look and style now whereas before I just had to buy whatever fit me.
“I bought a suit for my friend’s wedding and it actually needed it taking in, I could not believe it.”
He added: “I’m an active guy now and I’m excited for the future, I have a great relationship with my new partner and look forward to what is to come.
“My ex-wife has been incredible, we’re sort of like brother and sister now, I love her to bits.
“My new partner is just as supportive, and together with my ex and diet I finally feel like I have a life worth sticking around for."
Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org .
