I'm a chef and couldn't control myself around food - now I've lost 15 stone thanks to hard work and diet change

Watch the impressive journey of a food-loving chef - who has managed to lose 15 stone in just 16 months. Simon Parnell, 42, tipped the scales at 35 stone at his heaviest and struggled to squeeze into a size 8XL - but it all changed when he became ‘completely dedicated’ to walking.

Mr Parnell used to gorge on crisps, pastries and fizzy drinks but decided to make a change when he realised he couldn't get through a work shift without his legs swelling up - often spending the next day in extreme pain. Now he says he ‘feels a million dollars’ after dropping down to a slender 19st 11lbs.

Simon thought he'd only be able to shed the weight by getting gastric band surgery but after realising there was a two year wait he decided to give it a go naturally. He joined his friend, Ben Turner, 42, on a walk one morning - and the pair made a pact to meet at 6am each day to walk together. He also switched to healthy home-cooked foods such as chicken and vegetables.

He says his daughter, Hatty, 14, is "so so proud" of her dad. Simon, from St Margaret's, Kent, said: "My weight had got worse and worse. I'd got really big over time and found it hard to do everything, from putting on my socks to going out to work. I started walking every day, and was gradually able to walk further and faster.”

The super-slimmer now says he he ‘living [his] best life’ and feels ‘so healthy’ after ditching the unhealthy snacks. He said: "My car would just be filled with at least half a black sack worth of wrappers each week. I’d just end up in a complete hole. At the end of the day, I just couldn't move - my body was in shut down."

He said: "It was just a complete mindset shift. It was a struggle at first but I feel I really trained my brain over time. Before I started fasting, when I had breakfast each morning, it just set me off and I wanted to eat all the time. I have so much more control now."

Now, Simon walks an average of 25,000 steps a day. He weighs 19st 1lbs - and he wants to go further - with a goal weight of 15st. Simon shares his weight loss journey on his TikTok account @weightlossjourneybigsi.