I'm a chef and couldn't control myself around food - now I've lost 15 stone thanks to hard work and diet change

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Video shows the dramatic weight loss transformation of a chef who lost 15 stone after becoming ‘completely dedicated’ to walking.

Watch the impressive journey of a food-loving chef - who has managed to lose 15 stone in just 16 months. Simon Parnell, 42, tipped the scales at 35 stone at his heaviest and struggled to squeeze into a size 8XL - but it all changed when he became ‘completely dedicated’ to walking.

Simon Parnell, 42, from St Margaret's in Kent, pictured during his weight loss journey.  Simon Parnell, 42, from St Margaret's in Kent, pictured during his weight loss journey.
Simon Parnell, 42, from St Margaret's in Kent, pictured during his weight loss journey. | Simon Parnell / SWNS

Mr Parnell used to gorge on crisps, pastries and fizzy drinks but decided to make a change when he realised he couldn't get through a work shift without his legs swelling up - often spending the next day in extreme pain. Now he says he ‘feels a million dollars’ after dropping down to a slender 19st 11lbs.

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Simon thought he'd only be able to shed the weight by getting gastric band surgery but after realising there was a two year wait he decided to give it a go naturally. He joined his friend, Ben Turner, 42, on a walk one morning - and the pair made a pact to meet at 6am each day to walk together. He also switched to healthy home-cooked foods such as chicken and vegetables.

He says his daughter, Hatty, 14, is "so so proud" of her dad. Simon, from St Margaret's, Kent, said: "My weight had got worse and worse. I'd got really big over time and found it hard to do everything, from putting on my socks to going out to work. I started walking every day, and was gradually able to walk further and faster.”

The super-slimmer now says he he ‘living [his] best life’ and feels ‘so healthy’ after ditching the unhealthy snacks. He said: "My car would just be filled with at least half a black sack worth of wrappers each week. I’d just end up in a complete hole. At the end of the day, I just couldn't move - my body was in shut down."

He said: "It was just a complete mindset shift. It was a struggle at first but I feel I really trained my brain over time. Before I started fasting, when I had breakfast each morning, it just set me off and I wanted to eat all the time. I have so much more control now."

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Now, Simon walks an average of 25,000 steps a day. He weighs 19st 1lbs - and he wants to go further - with a goal weight of 15st. Simon shares his weight loss journey on his TikTok account @weightlossjourneybigsi.

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