kept it off for 8 years
DARIN McCLOUD’S weight problem was about as bad as it gets. But his story has a very happy ending. Here’s what happened in Darin’s own words.
“In January 2011 I was in many of the national newspapers because I weighed over 20 stone and was in a desperate state about my weight. Portsmouth council said I had to put weight ON before I would qualify for a gastric band despite the fact that I was obese with a 48 inch waist, had type 2 diabetes and was desperate!!
“I used to eat non-stop. Food was the only thing on my mind. My main meals would consist of lots of takeaways and also cooked meals. While sometimes they were healthy, the portion sizes were large.
“I used to drink two litres of Coke a day (minimum) and crisps etc. I was always snacking on bread. At work I would go to the shops multiple times a day to buy food. I would eat pies, sandwiches, fish and chips, burgers and sweets. I was also depressed.
“Sandra, the founder of Thinking Slimmer, saw my story and contacted me. She said she could help with something her company had created called a Slimpod. I started listening to my Slimpod for nine minutes a day and couldn’t believe how quickly things started changing.
We shot this video in January 2012. Darin has now won his Slimpod 5-Year Award
“The biggest change I noticed was that I didn’t miss Coke, sweets, chocolate bars and crisps. That was such an amazing thought when I realised that. I then started noticing I wanted to move more and my diabetes doctor suggested I start by running for a minute and walking for a minute.
“In October 2011 I ran the Great South Run, all 10K of it!. I had lost 6 lbs* by then and had a 36 inch waist! Afterwards I was walking on air.”
Darin’s great sporting achievements include competing in a duathlon – that’s 5k running, 15k cycling and 5k running, with double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes. Here’s the wonderful moment when they met. In September 2019 he competed in an IronMan triathlon!
“I honestly can’t believe the differences in my lifestyle in less than a year,” says Darin, 48. “Now I eat to fuel my body. I control food, food does not control me. I can eat what I choose, guilt free, because my body tells me when I need to eat and more importantly when I’ve had enough. I exercise because it makes me feel good and I love it.
“I feel happier and at peace with the way my life has changed for the better. I cannot remember the last time I felt this good about myself and positive about my life all at the same time, I feel like I want to burst with excitement.
DARIN’S FIRST CHARITY RUN IN 2011
“Since October 2011 I’ve run the London Marathon, cycled across Cuba and have won over 60 medals through running events. I’ve lost 70lbs* or so, kept all the weight off and received Thinking Slimmer’s five year award in 2016. Life is fab!”
Darin’s blood sugar level, monitored by his diabetes specialist at Portsmouth hospital, has gone down so much his insulin dose has been cut to zero, his body mass index (BMI) has dropped a category, his depression has lifted and he is now jogging, cycling and power walking along the seafront at Southsea almost every day.
At the IronMan weigh-in he was down to 14 stone 8lbs – meaning he’s lost over 80lbs since his unhappy days before Slimpod came into his life.
Darin, pictured above with some of his many cycling medals, is one of our Slimpod Champions you can chat to regularly in Slimpod Club. He’s a real inspiration and we’re very proud of him.
