Man who had £5k-a-year takeaway habit drops 10st

Joshua Hilton said feeling embarrassed about his weight had started to make him avoid going out

A fast food fan says he has lost "the equivalent of a great Dane" in weight after ditching his £5,000-a-year takeaway habit.

Joshua Hilton, 31, said he mostly used to eat at McDonald's but would also binge on KFCs and Chinese and Indian food.

The hairdresser, from Lyneham, Wiltshire, said he had become so embarrassed by his weight, he would avoid leaving his home as he did not like seeing people.

But after changing his diet, he has halved his weight from 20 stone (127kg) to 10 stone (63.5kg) in about 18 months.

Remembering his former self, he said: "I did not do any walking or exercise as it would make me feel exhausted and I would be sweating.

"I would also want to avoid people so I would never really want to be out in public."

At the time, the money he was spending did not seem significant as it would be "£10 here, £20 there".

On bad days, Mr Hilton used to eat two McDonald's for breakfast

On bad days, Mr Hilton would start the day with McDonald's.

"But it would be two of everything," he said. "I would quite often skip lunch so I could pre-plan my binge for the evening.

"That could be going back to McDonald's. It could be Chinese, Indian, KFC."

At the beginning of 2024, a photograph taken in work made him realise it was time to change his diet.

He said the key to losing weight had been to eat the correct portion sizes and avoid takeaways, although he does still eat the odd burger.

When it comes to exercise, he does not go to the gym.

"I'm on my feet all day and along with dog walks, that was enough for me," he said.

He said the key to losing weight had been avoiding takeaways and taking his dog for walks

Mr Hilton said he now felt happier and his sleep had improved.

"It's 100% made me more confident," he said.

He recommended others looking to lose weight should make steady changes to their diet over time.