A chef who struggled to control himself when it came to food lost 30 pounds in 16 months by eating just one meal a day. Simon Parnell, 42, tipped the scales at 35 stone at his heaviest and struggled to get down to size 8XL.
He had been binging on crisps, pastries and fizzy drinks, but decided to change that when he realised he couldn’t get through a shift without his legs swelling up – often leaving him in extreme pain the next day. Simon thought the only way to lose weight was to have gastric banding surgery, but after realising he would have to wait two years, he decided to try the natural way.
He went for a walk with his friend, Ben Turner, 42, one morning – and the pair made a deal to meet at 6am every day to walk together. Simon started fasting and has now switched to healthy, home-cooked foods like chicken and vegetables.
He was amazed when the weight fell off him and is now relatively slim, weighing 11lb, a size 2XL, and “feeling like a million bucks”. He says his daughter, Hatty, 14, is “so proud” of her father. Simon, from St Margaret’s, Kent, said: “My weight had been getting worse.
“I got really big over time and found it hard to do everything from putting on my socks to going to work. “I became completely devoted to walking.
“I started walking every day and gradually I could walk further and faster. Now I feel something so unimaginable, so happy, so healthy, this is what I have wanted all my life.
“I’ve dreamed this and imagined this and I’m living my best life. I’ve waited a lifetime to get to where I am now, even though I’m not ready yet. My daughter didn’t think I would get as far as I have – she’s so proud of me and has talked about it so much.”
Simon always struggled with his weight and ate four slices of toast every morning, ate unhealthy snacks throughout the day and drank a few bottles of beer every evening. His favorite foods were meal deals, sweets, chocolate and soft drinks.
He said, ‘My car was filled with at least half a black bag of wrappers every week.’ I just ended up in a complete hole.
“At the end of the day, I just couldn’t move, my body had shut down.” Simon’s job as a chef required him to stand for long periods of time, but he could barely get through a shift without sitting all day.
He also often ended the day with swollen legs and was in pain the whole next day. Simon said: “I was worried about my health.
“I wasn’t happy with the way I looked and I thought stomach surgery was the only way to lose weight. However, when I was told how long the wait for a hospital bed was, I decided to start my own weight loss journey. “
In January 2023, Simon’s friend Ben invited him to go on a morning walk. They met at 6 a.m. and walked two miles — leaving Simon feeling “tired.” The two men agreed to meet there every morning for a month to walk — regardless of the weather or other factors.
In addition to his daily walks, Simon started a fasting routine – eating one meal every day at 5pm. He said: “It was just a complete change of mindset.
“It was a struggle at first, but I think I really trained my brain over time. Before I started fasting, when I had breakfast every morning, I would get all upset and want to eat all the time .
“I have so much more control now.” Simon strictly adhered to a fasting routine for three to four months.
His one meal a day consisted of mixed nuts, some form of protein (usually chicken or fish), lentils, a mountain of vegetables or salad, and then some berries and yogurt for dessert. He still follows this routine, but has been able to incorporate more food into his diet because he knows he now has the mental strength to stay on track.
Simon felt too insecure to go to the gym for a while, but eight months into his weight loss journey, he plucked up the courage to try. A local personal trainer, Dave Pilcher, helped him find a gym routine and he now goes regularly.
“As a fat person, it’s your worst nightmare to go to the gym and think everyone is looking at you and talking, but that’s not actually the case,” Simon said. Dave’s way of training made me want to come back and do even better than the time before.
“It’s amazing how quickly your thoughts go from not wanting to get in, being your worst nightmare, to actually not being able to wait to get in and being the most confident person there.” Simon now walks an average of 25,000 steps per day. He weighs 19st 1lbs – and he wants to continue – with a target weight of 15st.
He said: “I still run and walk now and I also go to the gym. I do aqua aerobics and I try to swim a mile five times a week.” Simon shares his weight loss journey on his TikTok account @weightlossjourneybigsi.
Once he reaches his target weight, Simon wants to challenge himself further: he wants to swim the channel and start rock climbing. He said: “I want to help people who are in a similar position to what I was in.”
Simon’s diet for –
Breakfast – At least four slices of toast with butter
Lunch – Meal sandwiches with chips, chocolate and soft drink
Dinner – Mixture of meat and carbohydrates (pasta, potatoes, bread, etc.) with beer
Snacks – Beer, chips, chocolate bars, sweets, pastries
Simon’s diet after –
Breakfast – Skip
Lunch – Skips
Dinner – A mountain of vegetables or salad, chicken, beef or fish, and lentils – and then berries and yogurt for dessert
Snacks – Mixed nuts, berries