Man Loses and Regains 14 Stone Before Tackling Weight for Good
The Incredible Weight Rollercoaster
Chris Mardlin, 27, from Portsmouth, has been on an unbelievable weight journey. He dropped a staggering 14 stone in just nine months, only to pile it all back on over the next year. Now, with expert help from Portsmouth Hospitals’ Integrated Complex Obesity Service, Chris is fighting back — and this time, he’s doing it the healthy way.
Addiction and Side Effects: The Dark Side of Rapid Weight Loss
Chris has battled weight struggles since childhood. “I was 20 stone at 13 and ballooned to nearly 33 stone by 25,” he reveals. In January 2014, he slashed his calories to 1,600 a day and hit the gym for hours. But he was also taking risky diet pills like T5 and Grenade Black Ops.
“I became addicted to exercise just like I’d been addicted to food. If I cycled 50km one day, I pushed myself even harder the next. But I got terrible side effects — heart palpitations, numbness, and couldn’t sleep properly,” Chris says.
From Triumph to Tumble
The scales showed dramatic change and people treated Chris differently — for better and worse. At his lowest, the 6ft former chef weighed just 18 stone 5lbs. But the mental toll soon hit hard.
“I was happier with how I looked but inside I struggled. I lost belief in the journey and old, negative thought patterns crept back,” he admits.
A holiday to Butlins triggered a 30lb weight gain in a single week, and by December 2015, Chris was back at his starting point of 33 stone.
New Beginnings: The Right Way to Lose
Now on a sensible plan without diet pills or obsession, Chris has lost two and a half stone and is determined to keep it off for good.
“I’m exercising but with manageable goals and eating regular meals. I want to help others with my experience and maybe work in fitness and nutrition one day,” he says.
Chris is backed by a six-month programme offering medical, dietetic, psychological, and exercise support. Surgery is an option but not on his radar right now.
“I know I can do this the right way,” he says confidently. And this time, it looks like Chris is onto a winner.
