Father who ate 13,000 calories a day and weighed more than 24st unveils incredible new ripped physique after losing half his body weight in 18 months

• Paul Barnard from Surrey would binge on up to 12,900 calories a day
• READ MORE: Woman shares ‘small steps’ she took to lose 100lbs in one year  

A father, who weighed more than 24st after consuming the same number of daily calories as a family of eight is now sporting a six pack after shedding half his body weight.

Paul Barnard, 39, from Surrey, would consume a whopping 12,900 calories per day – starting with half a kilo of cheese on half a loaf of bread for breakfast each morning – and admits that he ate until he was in pain.

After reaching his heaviest weight of 24st 7lbs, Paul, felt at rock bottom and decided he had to turn his life around before it was too late, and is now showing off a ripped physique after shedding an impressive 12st.

Each day he would binge on up to 12,900 calories, equivalent to the number of calories that, on average, a family of eight consumes in a day.

The dad of two, to Mia, 17, and Jack, nine, hired a body building coach to help him transform his body and his life, and within 18 months he shed 12st 8lbs.

Paul, who now weighs now 11st 9lbs, decided he had to turn his life around before it was too late, and is now donning a ripped physique after shedding an impressive 12st

Paul Barnard (pictured) , 39, from Surrey, would consume up to 12,900 calories a day before he reached his heaviest weight of 24st 7lbs

Paul said: ‘I’ve struggled with my weight for my whole life, it’s fluctuated for years, and then after a breakup when I was around 20 a relationship ended, and I didn’t take it well.

‘This is when my problems with drugs, alcohol and binging really started.

‘I’m the type of person who always has to do everything to the extreme. I always had to take the most drugs, be the most drunk, or eat the most food.

‘Food was just another addiction for me.

‘I’d wake up and make myself cheese on toast using half a loaf of bread and half a kilogram of cheese, then I would have six to eight Weetabix and then go to Tesco for a meal deal, a large bar of chocolate, and a pasty or box of Scotch eggs.

‘I’d then go to Greggs for two sausage rolls, a sausage, bean and cheese melt, a baguette, and a doughnut. Later on, I’d go to McDonald’s where I would have a large bacon big tasty meal, a triple cheeseburger, six chicken nuggets and a milkshake.

‘When I got home, I’d have whatever dinner my wife, Angi, had made, which was usually something like a lasagna or a chilli but I would have a mountain of it, and then finish off whatever she or the kids left.

‘I was always willing that they’d not finish their meals so I could finish it off. I was obsessed with food.’

The father-of-two became so depressed he planned to take his own life by jumping from a car park

Paul admits that he would eat until he was in pain and believes that he was using food as a form of self-harm because he knew that it was slowly killing him, after suffering with his mental health for years.

Over the years, Paul went through multiple stages of yoyo dieting, losing weight, and giving up drinking and doing drugs, but would always end up going back to his old ways, until deciding to turn his life around for good in 2021.

Paul said: ‘The turning point for me was when I was ready to take my own life.

‘After a huge binge I took myself to the edge of a multi-storey car park, but I was saved when I saw a picture of my kids.

‘I placed my phone and wallet to the side so that people would know who I was, and my lock screen picture of my children flashed up and stopped.

‘At that moment, I vowed that I was going to sort myself out once and for all, and within 18 months I managed to lose 12st 8lbs and gave up drugs and alcohol for good.

Paul’s diet before weight loss: 

BREAKFAST: Half a kilo of cheese on half a loaf of bread, 6-8 Weetabix

MID MORNING SNACK: Meal deal with  chocolate and a pasty or Scotch eggs

LUNCH: Greggs baguette, 2 sausage rolls, melt and a doughnut

AFTERNOON SNACK: Large McDonald’s meal, triple cheeseburger, 6 chicken nuggets and a milkshake.

DINNER:  Lasagne or chilli con carne and finish off kids’ and wife’s leftovers

Paul’s diet after weight loss: 

BREAKFAST: Protein oats with a banana

MID-MORNING SNACK: Scrambled eggs on toast or chicken wrap with salad

PRE-WORK OUT MEAL: Bagel with jam and a protein yoghurt

POST WORK OUT MEAL: A third of a box of Coco Pops with a protein shake

DINNER: Steak and vegetables

‘I’m still training five times a week with a combination of walks to clear my head and weight lifting.

‘Seeing the picture of my children on my phone changed everything for me. What was I doing?

‘I’m not going to leave my children without a dad, and let them be known as the kids whose dad killed himself.

‘I needed to get myself sorted once and for all.’

When Paul started seeing the pounds dropping off, it felt like the real him was starting to come out.

He added: ‘It was a sustainable lifestyle change that I could stick to. I wasn’t just eating chicken and rice every single day like a bodybuilder.

‘Everything was a struggle to me before. I couldn’t get off the sofa, tie my shoelaces, go to the loo, or even go to the shops and buy clothes. It made me even more depressed.

‘Losing weight has made me so much more confident. I used to walk with my head down because I felt like I was below everyone, and now I will talk to anyone.

‘People don’t recognise me anymore.

‘I didn’t want to do anything with my kids. I was so angry at the world and grumpy, but now we do stuff as a family all of the time.

‘I wouldn’t have had the energy to do it beforehand.

‘But life is good now, and I never thought that I would say that.

The dad of two, to Mia (far right), 17, and Jack (middle right), said his wife Angi (left) has been an incredible support and never gave up on him 

Paul, pictured with his son Jack prior to his weight loss, said that he used food and form of self-harm, and he would eat until he was in copious amounts of pain 

Now, Paul said losing weight has completely transformed his life and he has become much more confident 

‘My wife is also so proud of me. She could have left me at any time and no one would have blamed her, however, she stuck by me and she is the true superstar of my story.

‘I want to gain as much muscle as possible now because next year I want to compete in a bodybuilding show.

‘I want to say to anyone, no matter how low and beat down you’re feeling, it’s not over. You just have to decide that you want to live and find your reason why.

‘My reason was my children. Once you’ve found your reason, you can achieve anything.

‘I’m now 11st 9lbs, drug and alcohol-free, and feel better than I have ever felt better, and it’s all thanks to that picture of my kids stopping me from taking my life that day, and finally managing to turn my life around.’

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