My Journey: From “Big Mark” to the best version of me
Hi! I’m Mark — 50 years old, from the UK. I’m not a dietitian or a nutritionist. In fact, I knew little more than the average person about health and nutrition. I just assumed the obvious: lettuce is good, burgers are bad.
The wake-up call I didn’t see coming
In 2019, I weighed just shy of 20 stone. I didn’t know this at the time — I never weighed myself. At 6’2” with broad shoulders, I could kind of “get away with it.” With the right clothes, everything looked okay… or so I told myself.
Every shopping trip ended the same: laughing (and grumbling) that XL clothes had “suddenly become smaller.” I was in total denial.
Then the UK went into lockdown.
As a music teacher, all my work moved online. Suddenly I was sitting at my desk for hours, doing Zoom lessons all day. You might expect me to say, “That’s when the weight piled on.” But it’s actually a little sadder than that.
Sitting down all day wasn’t just uncomfortable — it was painful. My stomach hung over my jeans so much that my belt buckle was cutting into me.
Was this the turning point?
Not yet.
Instead of changing anything, I just decided to buy a new belt — one that wouldn’t dig in so much. (Yes — my levels of delusion and avoidance were next level!)
The vet visit that changed everything
One day, my dog was feeling a bit off. Nothing serious — just needed a few pills and some TLC. While waiting for the vet, I popped him on the dog scale. Then, out of curiosity, I weighed my daughter. Then myself.
The scale flashed up a message:
“Please only weigh one dog at a time.”
It thought I was heavier than two of the biggest dogs they expected to use it. Actually — I was. More than twice the size of their largest imagined dog. 😅
My daughter stared at me, probably wondering how many Bernese Mountain Dogs I was equivalent to. I smiled — as I always do — but something shifted in me.
I knew the gym wasn’t the answer
I’m not a gym person. If I were, I’d already be there. So it had to be my diet.
I started paying attention to what I ate. Sure, there were a lot of takeaways and fast food — but I also love to cook. So it wasn’t just junk.
It was everything. Nothing was real. Everything was processed, modified, or disguised to look like food.
Then I had a simple thought that changed everything:
What did people eat before all this processing? What did cavemen eat?
It hit me — we don’t eat real food anymore.
The change that changed my life
That night, I made a single change. And it worked.
The weight began falling off — fast. I went from XXL to L (even a Medium in some polo shirts!) within a few months. People noticed within weeks. Compliments poured in. I felt amazing.
The photo below was the one I was most ashamed of (and yes, I still blamed the shirt 😅), but it became my motivation.
What I gained from what I lost
Within months, I was:
• Sleeping better (no more snoring!)
• Moving more (because I had the energy to!)
• Buying clothes I wanted to wear, not just what fit
• Feeling confident in my own skin again
And the best part?
Not a single day felt like a struggle.
I ate real food. I felt full. I still went out to eat. I never felt like I was missing out. And now? I’m no longer “Big Mark” in groups with another Mark. Just Mark — and proud of it.
Want to know exactly what I did?
As is the case with any diet plan, please make sure that you get the advice of your doctor and do not do this unless you have excess weight to lose! I am not a dietician or a nutritional expert, I have just noted down what I did and what worked for me. Please also be careful not to use any ingredients that you are allergic to - If in doubt, get medical advice first!