Embarking on a weight loss journey is no mean feat. It requires making a myriad of lifestyle changes over time to shift into overall better habits that will allow you to be more consistently healthy.
One man, with the help of his personal trainer and friend, managed to completely transform his life by losing 19 stone - nearly half of his overall bodyweight.
With determination and the support of those around him, Darren "Dibsy" McClintock went from consuming around 11,000 calories a day, to completing a half marathon - something that before starting his journey would have been unthinkable.
When he undertook the challenge of the Great North Run, he even ended up beating his target time by an hour and fifteen minutes.
Back in 2018, Darren "Dibsy" McClintock decided he needed to take drastic action and got help from personal trainer Mike Hind. Mike even put posters up around Middlesborough, with the message: "Save Dibsy. Obesity is killing him. Do not serve this man" and he was banned from takeaways.
Dibsy gave up fizzy drinks and booze and swapped takeaways for a calorie-controlled diet and exercise plan, Teesside Live reported at the time. After all his hard work he got down to 21st — almost half his initial body weight.
Less than a full year later in 2019, he hit another milestone when he crossed the finishing line at his first Great North Run in Newcastle, completing the race in an impressive 2hrs and 43 minutes. Dibsy joined 57,000 runners in the world's biggest half marathon, smashing his target time by over an hour.
Speaking after the run, Dibsy said: "I'm alright, my legs are hurting a bit! But the support there was mental. I didn't realise how much support there would be, people shouting along the way, it was unbelievable. It's an amazing feeling afterwards, knowing you have done it.
"I found it hard but the sense of achievement is unbelievable. If you'd told me I would be doing the Great North Run , even a month ago, I would have laughed! I'll definitely do that again next year and hopefully get a better time as well."
Mike said he was hugely proud of Dibsy's achievements. "I'm like his dad, I'm so proud of him. When I think about what we have achieved together, last year he couldn't even run a bath! I'll be honest, it was hard - it wasn't easy - but wanted to do it in under four hours and did it in two hours and 43 minutes so we smashed that."
Dibsy and Mike were part of a team raising funds for the Boro Walkers Association. The pair thanked all those who have donated and supported them on the journey so far. "We couldn't have done it without them," said Dibsy, who also expressed his hope to raise enough money for an operation to remove his excess skin, left behind by the dramatic weight loss.
At one stage, he was consuming 11,000 calories a day after feasting on unhealthy fast food such as pizzas, chips and sausage sandwiches. But after seeing his mum's reaction to doctor's warnings, he decided it was time to do something about it. His life has been transformed after starting his weight-loss journey late last year. He said: "Instead of picking the healthy option I would always go for what I liked, stuff like pies, pasties, crisps and chips." Much of Dibsy's progress was thanks to personal trainer Mike, who takes on a client for free once a year.
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