From sad couch potato
to medal-winning athlete
From sad couch potato
to medal-winning athlete
Darin McCloud’s story
I was in despair. At close to 20 stone (280 lbs), I was obese and had diabetes. My life was full of self-loathing and self-pity. For decades, I hated myself. I hated being me. I just existed—I had no life to speak of.
I would feed my depression by eating rubbish and doing no exercise. My life was a monotonous cycle: get up, go to work, come home, sit in front of the telly, eat junk, and drink at least a litre of Coke Zero. As if the “zero” made any difference!
Happy Darin the athlete – and before Slimpod
I was in such a terrible place mentally that I thought my only hope for losing weight and having any sort of life was gastric surgery. But I didn’t even qualify for the surgery because, unbelievably, I wasn’t “fat enough” according to their criteria.
That rejection crushed me. The depression just consumed me further, and I kept making choices that weren’t just bad—they were entirely selfish.
I convinced myself that if I piled on even more weight, the health authority would have no choice but to give me the gastric surgery I thought would save me. So, I started eating more junk deliberately—pies, burgers, sweets, crisps—you name it.
I was out of control. My main meals were enormous, full of takeaways and unhealthy portions, and I drank at least two litres of Coke every single day.
Even though this was a bizarre and self-destructive plan, it gave me a strange sense of purpose. That year was brutal, fighting the health authority for surgery. But I don’t regret it. As insane as it sounds, it eventually led me to the help I truly needed: The Slimpod programme.
Darin meets Sandra
It was 15 years ago that Sandra saw my story in the national papers and reached out to me. She said her programme could help. I was sceptical, but I figured I had nothing to lose. To my surprise, things started to change almost immediately.
The first big change? I didn’t miss Coke, sweets, chocolate bars, or crisps. That was huge for me. For the first time, I felt like I was in control of my eating habits instead of being controlled by them.
And then something even more unexpected happened: I discovered I liked moving. At first, it was just brisk walks. Then I started jogging. Before I knew it, I was running—and loving it! My diabetes doctor suggested I start small, running for a minute and walking for a minute, and I stuck with it. Within six months, I ran the Great South Run—10 kilometres! I’d already lost weight, and my waist shrank from 48 inches to 36 inches.
The day I crossed that finish line, I felt like I was walking on air.
It’s hard to put into words how much my life has changed since then. Food no longer controls me. I eat to fuel my body, not to feed my depression or drown my emotions. My body tells me when I’ve had enough, and I actually listen. And the exercise? It’s not just something I do; it’s something I love. Running makes me feel alive.
Darin ran the London Marathon
Over the years, I’ve accomplished things I never dreamed possible. I ran the London Marathon, cycled across Cuba, and even competed in a duathlon with double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes.
I’ve also taken on triathlons—despite my fear of open water—and completed an Ironman event. I went from struggling to walk down the street without losing my breath to calling myself an athlete.
My weight dropped dramatically. From 20 stone, I went down to 14 stone (196 lbs) and dropped my waist from 48 inches to 34 inches. My blood sugar levels stabilised, and I was able to come off insulin entirely. My BMI dropped a whole category, and most importantly, my depression lifted.
The heavy, dark cloud that had followed me for years was finally gone.
I’ll never forget the moment I realised I was truly free from my old habits. I was out for a run, and it hit me: I didn’t miss the rubbish food. I didn’t miss the Coke or the chocolate. I was happy. And it wasn’t just about the physical changes—although losing 80 pounds and fitting into smaller clothes felt amazing.
The real transformation was inside. I felt confident, capable, and proud of myself for the first time in years. That’s way I am so delighted to be asked to feature in Sandra’s book, The Weight’s Over: Take Back Control, because that’s what I’ve done with my life.
Darin competes with Dame Kelly Holmes
The Slimpod programme didn’t just help me lose weight. It helped me regain my life. I’m now living proof that you don’t need drastic surgery to change your body and your mindset. The programme taught me how to take control of my relationship with food and exercise, and it gave me the confidence to keep pushing myself.
If I can do this, anyone can. I went from sitting on the couch, feeling sorry for myself, to winning over 60 medals in running events. I’ve cycled, run, swum, and challenged myself in ways I never thought possible. I’m not just surviving anymore—I’m thriving. And I owe so much of that to Sandra and Slimpod.
These days, I love life. I’m happy, healthy, and full of energy. I feel like the best version of myself.
The old me is a distant memory, and I know I’ll never go back to that dark place. If you’re struggling like I was, please believe me when I say there’s hope. Change is possible. You just have to take that first step.
And who knows? Maybe one day, you’ll be the one crossing a finish line, looking back at how far you’ve come, and thinking: If I can do it, anyone can.
The Weight's Over: Take Back Control
Darren’s Incredible Slimpod Journey: From Desperation to Marathon Medals
For most of my life, my weight controlled me. At my heaviest, I was 21 stone and struggling with diabetes. I had tried everything to lose weight—fad diets, calorie counting. I was desperate. But what they told me was soul-crushing: I needed to gain even more weight to qualify for the surgery. That was my lowest point.
Then, everything changed.
Listen to Darin's episode
I met Sandra from Slimpod in London, and at the time, I could barely keep up with her walking pace. I was five paces behind, sweating and red-faced, thinking, “Exercise? That’s never going to happen.” I wasn’t looking for a lifestyle change—I just wanted to lose weight. But that’s when the magic started.
Slimpod wasn’t like anything I had tried before. It wasn’t a diet. There were no food restrictions, no calorie counting. It worked by changing how I thought about food, and that changed everything.
Within days, I lost my cravings for junk food. It wasn’t about willpower; it was like my brain had been rewired. I no longer wanted to eat for comfort, and food stopped being the center of my life. Instead, I found something better—exercise. I never in a million years thought I’d say this, but I started to enjoy it.
My diabetes doctor told me to start small: one minute running, one minute walking. So that’s what I did. That one minute turned into 10, then 30. Before I knew it, I was cycling across the country, running half-marathons, and even completing the London Marathon with other Slimpodders. I wasn’t just losing weight—I was gaining a whole new life.
The Turning Point
Over the years, my journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. I went from struggling to walk to competing in ultra-marathons, triathlons, and duathlons. I even attempted an Ironman. Though my bike gave up before I could finish, I didn’t let it defeat me. In my eyes, better the bike gave up than me!
I lost six stone, settling at around 15 stone, which felt right for me. My diabetes medication was reduced to its lowest level, and for 14 years, I’ve kept the weight off. Even when life threw challenges my way—health issues, injuries, even the disruption of COVID—I never spiraled back into old habits. The Slimpod mindset stayed with me.
The Transformation: The day I crossed that finish line, I felt like I was walking on air.
I used to be a comfort eater. Stress, anxiety, bad days—it all led me straight to food. But Slimpod freed me from that cycle. Now, if I feel myself slipping, I know exactly what to do: I listen to the pods again. They’ve become my lifelong tool, always there when I need them.
My Three Biggest Slimpod Tips
- Listen to the pods—consistently. At the start, I listened every single night for six months straight because I was terrified of failing. If you’re struggling, just keep listening. It works.
- Trust the process. It may take time, but Slimpod reprograms your mind in ways that last a lifetime. Unlike diets that set you up for failure, this is about long-term change.
Find what makes you feel good. For me, it was running and cycling. For you, it might be something else. But movement is a gift, not a punishment. Enjoy it.
The heavy, dark cloud that had followed me for years was finally gone.
I often look back at where I was 15 years ago—overweight, miserable, and feeling hopeless. I genuinely believe that if I hadn’t found Slimpod, I wouldn’t be here today.
Now, my life is full. I have over 300 medals covering my landing, proof of everything I’ve achieved.
I’m Never Going Back
If you’re struggling, if you feel like you’ve tried everything, please believe me when I say: There is hope. Slimpod changed my life, and it can change yours too.
Importantly, I have freedom. Freedom from dieting, freedom from food controlling me, and freedom to live the life I never thought I’d have.
