A dad, who weighed in at over 24 after consuming the same number of daily calories as a family of eight, is now wearing a six-pack after losing half his body weight.
Paul Barnard, 39, from Surrey, consumed a whopping 12,900 calories a day – starting with half a kilo of cheese on half a loaf of bread for breakfast every morning – and admits eating until he got sore.
After reaching his heaviest weight of 24 pounds, Paul felt at rock bottom and decided he had to change his life before it was too late, and is now showing off a ripped body after losing an impressive 12th.
Each day he consumed up to 12,900 calories, which is equivalent to the average number of calories a family of eight consumes per day.
The father of two, Mia, 17, and Jack, nine, hired a bodybuilding coach to help him transform his body and his life, and within 18 months he lost 12kg.
Paul, who now weighs 11kg, decided he had to change his life before it was too late, and now has a ripped body after losing an impressive 12kg.
Paul Barnard (pictured), 39, from Surrey, consumed up to 12,900 calories a day before reaching his heaviest weight of 24kg
Paul said: ‘I’ve struggled with my weight all my life, it’s been fluctuating for years, and after a breakup when I was around 20, a relationship ended, and I didn’t take it well.
‘That’s when my problems with drugs, alcohol and bingeing really started.
‘I’m the type of person who always has to push everything to the limit. I always had to be on the most meds, be the most drunk, or eat the most food.
“Food was just an addiction for me.
‘I would wake up and make myself cheese on toast with half a loaf of bread and half a kilo of cheese, then I would have six to eight Weetabix and then go to Tesco for a meal deal, a large bar of chocolate, and a pasty or carton of Scotch eggs .
“Then I went to Greggs for two sausage rolls, a sausage melt, bean and cheese melt, a baguette and a donut. Later I went to McDonald’s, where I got a big, tasty meal of bacon, a triple cheeseburger, six chicken nuggets, and a milkshake.
“When I got home, I ate the dinner my wife, Angi, made, which was usually something like a lasagna or a chili pepper, but I ate a mountain of it, then ate whatever she or the kids had left over.
“I was always willing for them not to finish their meal so I could finish it. I was obsessed with food.’
The father of two became so depressed that he planned to commit suicide by jumping out of a parking lot
Paul admits that he would eat until he was in pain and believes he used food as a form of self-harm, knowing it was slowly killing him, having suffered from his mental health for years.
Over the years, Paul went through multiple phases of yo-yo dieting, losing weight, quitting drinking and taking drugs, but in the end he always fell back into his old ways, until he decided to change his life forever in 2021.
Paul said, “The turning point for me was when I was ready to commit suicide.
“After a huge binge, I went to the edge of a parking garage, but I was saved when I saw a picture of my kids.
“I put my phone and wallet to the side so people would know who I was, and my lock screen picture of my kids flashed and stopped.
‘At that moment I vowed that I would solve my problems once and for all, and within 18 months I managed to lose 6.5 kg and quit drugs and alcohol for good.
“I still work out five times a week with a combination of walking to clear my head and lifting weights.
“When I saw the picture of my kids on my phone, everything changed for me. What was I doing?
“I am not going to leave my children without a father, and let them be known as the children whose father committed suicide.
“I had to get myself in order once and for all.”
When Paul saw the pounds fall off, it felt like his real he was starting to come out.
He added, “It was a sustainable lifestyle change that I could stick to. I didn’t just eat chicken and rice every day like a bodybuilder.
“Before, everything was a struggle for me. I couldn’t get off the couch, tie my shoelaces, go to the bathroom, or even go to the shops to buy clothes. It made me even more depressed.
“Losing weight has made me much more self-confident. I used to walk with my head down because I felt like I was below everyone, and now I talk to everyone.
“People don’t recognize me anymore.
“I didn’t want to do anything with my kids. I used to be so mad at the world and grumpy but now as a family we do things all the time.
‘I hadn’t had the energy for it before.
“But life is good now, and I never thought I’d say that.
The father of two, Mia (far right), 17, and Jack (center right), said his wife Angi (left) was an incredible support to him and never let him down
Paul, pictured with his son Jack prior to his weight loss, said he used food and a form of self-harm, and would eat until he was in a lot of pain.
Now Paul said that losing weight has completely changed his life and he has become much more confident
My wife is also so proud of me. She could have left me at any time and no one would have blamed her, but she stayed with me and she is the true superstar of my story.
‘I want to build up as much muscle mass as possible now, because next year I want to participate in a bodybuilding show.
“I want to say to everyone: no matter how gloomy and defeated you feel, it’s not over yet. You just have to decide that you want to live and find the reason why.
“My reason was my children. Once you find your reason, you can achieve anything.
“I now weigh 10 lbs, am drug and alcohol free, and feel better than I’ve ever felt better, and it’s all thanks to that picture of my kids that kept me from taking my own life that day. and finally managed to change my life. all around.’