A man has revealed how he lost nearly half his body weight after he was too big to ride nearly every rollercoaster in a theme park.
Martin Hannis, 38, from Gloucester, tipped the scales at 23st and could barely squeeze into size XXXXXL clothes thanks to a diet of pizza, kebabs and a bottle of red wine a night.
But he was forced to confront his size when he took niece Lola Thomas, then 6, to a theme park and was too round to go on all but two of the attractions, with staff telling him: ‘You’re too big to ride.’
Determined to change, he ditched booze and took up running, and lost a staggering 12st in just a year, now weighing in at an incredible 11st 9lbs.
Single Martin – who also battled anxiety and depression before his weight loss – said he’s the ‘happiest he’s ever been’.
Martin Hannis, 38, from Gloucester, has revealed how he lost nearly half his body weight after he was too big to ride nearly every rollercoaster in a theme park
Martin said his weight crept up for ten years and he used food and alcohol as a coping mechanism for dealing with anxiety.
He’d get through a bottle of red wine every evening, followed by unhealthy snacks such as pizza, chocolate and kebabs, consuming 5,000 calories a day.
He said: ‘I knew my health was getting worse, but when you’re suffering from anxiety, it’s easier to just brush it off and pretend it isn’t happening.
‘I used to come home from work in the evening and eat a whole packet of biscuits without a moment’s thought.’
Martin tipped the scales at 23st and could barely squeeze into size XXXXXL clothes thanks to a diet of pizza, kebabs and a bottle of red wine a night (left), but went on to lose almost half of his body weight (right)
It wasn’t until he took niece Lola to a theme park while on a camping trip in Brean, Somerset last April, and was rejected from eight rides, he took action.
The stock and bond manager from Gloucester, said: ‘It felt like a walk of shame with everyone looking at you as you got off the ride – some staff tried to sugar-coat it, but some put it very bluntly.
‘I’d noticed my weight creeping up over the years but it wasn’t until the theme park trip last year that I felt really motivated to do something about it.
‘I felt so humiliated when I was asked to leave almost every ride in front of everyone.’
Martin said his weight crept up for ten years and he used food and alcohol as a coping mechanism for dealing with anxiety
The 38-year-old said he would come home and devour a packet of biscuits ‘without a moment’s thought’
Martin said: ‘As I became more aware of my body and what it needed, I realised how little attention I’d been paying before.’
He committed to a strict weight-loss regime in July 2019 – initially limiting himself to just 1,000 calories a day, ditching booze, going for regular runs and hitting the gym.
He said his first run ‘nearly killed him’ and he struggled to manage even 60 seconds without stopping.
But he now eats around 2,500 calories a day – half his total 18 months ago – and runs up to 22km at a time.
It was only after he visited a theme park with his niece Lola and found he wasn’t permitted on most of the roller coasters that he decided it was time to change
He said: ‘Losing the weight was incredibly difficult and it took a lot of commitment, but now I’m a lot healthier and it’s become a way of life for me.’
His hard work paid off when he was able to return to the same theme park in August this year and rode all the rides.
He said: ‘I fit in every seat on every ride, which was so satisfying after I had to watch my niece ride alone the year before.
‘I reckon I enjoyed it more than her this year!
After the experience at the theme park, Martin ditched alcohol, took up running, and lost a staggering 12st in just a year, now weighing in at an incredible 11st 9lbs
Martin returned to the theme park with his niece Lola and found he could go on ‘every single ride’ after his weight loss
‘I had to laugh when she said to me, “You need to make sure you don’t get fat again so we can always go on the rides”.’
‘I never used to get enjoyment out of anything I did, but when I went back to the theme park this summer, I think I had more fun than my niece – and I went on every single ride!
‘Losing weight completely changed my life, and I’ll never let myself get that big again.
‘Not only am I now so much healthier, but I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.’
Single Martin – who also battled anxiety and depression before his weight loss – said he’s the ‘happiest he’s ever been’
Martin revealed he now feels like ‘a completely different person’ after shedding over half of his body weight
He added: ‘It was definitely a mental challenge as well as a physical one – but I’m so much happier now, and I’m full of energy.
‘Looking back, I realise I never really got enjoyment out of anything I did before – but now I do.
‘I feel like a completely different person, and I’m the happiest I’ve been in my whole life.’