Josh Hilton, 31, was tipping the scales at 20st and was wearing a size 2XL and 48in waist at his heaviest. He would eat two or three takeaways every day
A man shed 10s in just one year without hitting the gym or relying on weight loss injections after ditching his staggering £3,000-a-year fast food habit. Josh Hilton, 31, tipped the scales at 20st at his heaviest and would find himself breaking into a sweat simply doing up his shoelaces.
He squeezed into size 2XL clothing with a 48in waist at his largest and would demolish two or three takeaways daily, including McDonald’s and KFC, while guzzling three litres of full-fat Coke every single day. However, after catching sight of himself in a workplace photograph, Josh decided he’d had enough and embarked on transforming his lifestyle on January 1, 2024.
Rather than hitting the gym or resorting to injections, Josh completely overhauled his eating habits and created a calorie deficit. He ditched the takeaways, crisps, chocolate and cakes in favour of protein-packed meals, fibre and fresh fruit and vegetables.
Throughout the following 12 months, Josh managed to slash his body weight in half and now weighs 10st 1lbs, fitting into 28in jeans. Since January, he has successfully maintained his new weight.
Josh, a hairdresser from Lyneham, Wiltshire, said: “Health-wise before, my breathing wasn’t great. I’d struggle to do my shoelaces without sweating.
“I couldn’t get in the car if another car was near it because of my belly – it was embarrassing and humiliating. Day-to-day life was uncomfortable, really.
“Now I’m so much more confident, I sleep better, my skin is better, I actually want to get up each morning and get on with my day. I just want to take on the world. I know I now need to incorporate some exercise to get some muscle mass back in and get some shape.”
Josh had attempted numerous diets previously, none of which appeared to be effective.
He explained: “I’ve been on and off diets all the time. From a young age, I’ve liked food, but struggled with my weight.
“I’ve done Slimming World, keto, but nothing worked before. It was a photo from November 2023 at a work Christmas do.
“I took a second look to actually see it and it made me really upset. That was the turning point to really make a change.”
Following his successful calorie deficit approach, Josh revealed that people frequently presumed he had used weight loss injections or “been to Turkey” for bariatric surgery.
He explained: “I’ve done no exercise whatsoever, apart from walking a lot more. I wanted to get the food side down.
“No jabs or any gastric sleeve. The first thing people ask is if I’ve done a jab or been to Turkey. I’ve nothing against any of that, but sometimes hard work isn’t appreciated – it was solely calorie deficit.”
Prior to shedding the weight, Josh would consume such vast quantities during the evening that it would leave him feeling unwell the following day.
He said: “When I checked how much I’d spent on certain takeaways, it was disgusting; £6,000 on McDonald’s in a two-year bracket.
“Along with other takeaways, around £10,000 in two years. It all added up, I was out of control.
“I’m quite shy and I’ve had a bit of anxiety – food was my comfort. But it wasn’t good mentally, I knew I was damaging my body.
“I was hot all the time, exhausted all the time. I gave up – I’d work, go home and eat.”
Despite his transformation, Josh still battles with the mental image of being a 20st man.
He confessed: “I am proud of myself, and I feel a million times better, but you know what? I still wake up each morning feeling like I’m 20 stone.
“I still mentally feel huge. It’s a battle – I don’t think I’ll truly ever be happy, but who is?
“Food addition is real and isn’t understood enough. If someone is an alcoholic or has a gambling addiction, there seems to be more sympathy.”
When it comes to advice for others, Josh suggested embracing small improvements.
He advised: “I know it sounds cliché, but take it slowly. When you are bigger, you’ve got an addictive and impulsive personality, and you want quick results straight away.
“But reign it in and be happy with half a pound a week. If you get the calorie deficit side right as well, you can eat what you want and still lose weight.”
Josh’s diet before his weight loss
Breakfast – Skip breakfast
Lunch – Skip lunch
Dinner – Takeaway (McDonald’s, Chinese, Indian, Kebabs)
Snacks – Cakes, crisps, chocolate
Drinks – Three litres of full fat coke
Josh’s diet after his weight loss
Breakfast – Low-fat yoghurt with fruit and honey or porridge
Lunch – Jacket potato with beans and cheese or a salad
Dinner – Pasta dishes, protein dishes, veg
Snacks – Crisps in moderation, fruit, low-calorie chocolates
Drinks – three or four litres of water