A former drug and alcohol addict, who has been sober for three years, turned to eating whatever he wanted to cope.
Matt Ellengold, from London, revealed how his life was all about partying but when he decided to stop, he didn’t think healthy eating was a priority.
After recovering from addiction, the 39-year-old set up a dating profile to look for a relationship.
But when he looked at the pictures of himself to upload, he realised how unhappy he was with the way he looked.
So Matt signed up with gym brand UP Fitness to get in shape. And in just the space of six months, Matt managed to lose an impressive 28kg.
Though he is now enjoying being ripped, it has been a long and tumultuous journey.
Matt had begun drinking and doing drugs in his 20s. But he found himself going home early so he could do drugs alone. It got to the point that he would constantly be thinking about using.
‘They made me not feel, they made my head not think about anything, it switched me off from world. They filled the void I felt inside of me,’ he said.
He began to self-medicate as a way to deal with his poor mental health. In 2011, after a failed suicide attempt, Matt contacted the City of Westminster Turning Point Drug and Wellbeing Service to finally get some help.
He was eventually able to get sober but then began piling on the pounds.
His weight increased after his recovery and Matt had to muster a lot of courage to hit the gym.
‘I felt ashamed and embarrassed in my own body,’ he said to Mail Online. ‘I would order online as I was too embarrassed to go into shops.
‘Prior to joining I had a lot of self-doubts, questioned myself and had no self-belief. I believe in myself more now.
‘I used to go to bed at night and hope I wouldn’t wake up. Fast forward to now, with my experience at UP, I go to bed at night looking forward to waking up.’
Now, four years into his recovery, Matt spends his time at the gym.
He added: ‘My experience at UP has made me feel like a better person and version of myself since I joined.
‘I can’t describe what an improvement this is for me.’
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