Joe Tonge who reached THIRTY STONE, sheds half his body weight

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Joe Tonge reached 30st after his parents split and he comfort ate
He was a size XXXL and was worried he would never find love
After joining LighterLife Joe dropped half his body weight in a year
He has now found love with his new girlfriend Marianna Kharitonava

Published: 05:46 EST, 20 July 2015 | Updated: 12:11 EST, 20 July 2015

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An obese man who reached 30st after becoming addicted to online gaming has shed half his body weight in a year and has found a girlfriend.

Now 14st, Joe Tonge, 25, from Wrawby, North Lincolnshire, has found love with 33-year-old Marianna Kharitonava and the couple have moved in together.

Whereas girls previously shunned him and he was too embarrassed to leave the house he has now traveled the world.

Joe Tonge reached 30st while he was in college and feared that he would never be able to find love, but he dropped 15st in just a year and has found a girlfriend. Pictured: Joe with partner Marianna Kharitonava

Joe says that he is now chatted up by strangers, but he says he is happy to stay loyal to Marianna who he met through friends.

For years Joe – who ate four slices of toast and cereal for breakfast at his heaviest – refused to leave his bedroom, only communicating with online gamers.

Instead of travelling to Thailand and going on elephant rides – as he now does – Joe took holidays in his room, once spending a full week on the computer.

Joe piled on the pounds after his parents split up when he was 16 and he began to comfort eat, but after joining LighterLife in 2011 he gave up his favourite pizza snack and shed half his body weight

When he was his heaviest Joe became a recluse and would spend hours in his room online gaming

Joe once took a week off work just to finish a video game as he says it was an escape

He said: 'I was so fat I didn't leave my room. I would only go out to pop to the loo or the kitchen.

'I hated going out as people stared at me so I stayed in and only chatted to anonymous gamers online who couldn't judge me on my size.

'I was a size XXXL and horribly fat. I thought I would end up alone.

'My mum Roberta was worried about my size too.'

After losing 15st Joe has finally been able to realise his dream of living an active lifestyle outdoors and finding love.

After losing 15st Joe has finally been able to realise his dream of living an active lifestyle and finding love

Joe recently took a trip to Thailand and says he was able to take his top off for the first time ever

Joe now enjoys an active lifestyle and goes swimming as well as working out at home

Joe continued: 'I dreamed about being skinny one day.

'Now that's come true. I have a girlfriend, a group of mates and I'm out and about these days.

'Before, the days would drag but now I'm always busy. I'm with friends, Marianna or down the gym.'

Joe told how he started gaining weight after his parents split up when he was 16. In just a few years while at college he went from 17st to 30st.

He said: 'I started to comfort eat and piled on the pounds. As I got bigger I hated how I looked and avoided any cameras and mirrors.

Joe is now saving up for surgery to have his excess skin left from the weight loss, removed

'I stopped going out in public because I felt like everyone was staring at me.

'I got so hot and sweaty carrying all that extra padding around me.'

Joe found solace in his bedroom where no-one could look at him.

He said: 'I could stay in my room for hours playing video games. I took a whole week off once to finish a game.

'It was my way of escaping. I didn't have to think about my problems.'

Joe chose interactive games as it meant he could chat to others online without being judged by his size.

He said: 'I didn't have a social life so I spoke to people through the game.

'I felt safe chatting online as I didn't have to worry about my appearance. No one could see me.'

But his mother, now 60, worried his bulk was seriously affecting his health.

He said: 'Mum was really hard on me and put pressure on me to lose weight.

'She said, "you don't have a girlfriend or many friends and you're killing yourself". She was right.

'I kept getting chest infections and my doctor said I was putting myself in danger. I had to do something about it.'

In October 2011 Joe joined LighterLife.

He said: 'I swapped fatty, carby foods like pizza for four nutritious Foodpacks a day.

'I also attended weekly group sessions with LighterLife counsellor Julie Johnson who made me realise I'd been comfort eating to help me cope with my parents' break up'

In just under a year Joe managed to lose 14st. Following the weight loss, Joe was left with saggy skin around his waist, chest, legs and bum. He now hopes for surgery to remove it.

'I'm saving up for it,' he said. 'But I am happy. I recently went to Thailand and got to walk on the beach and take my top off.

'That was a definite no-go before. Now I go to the gym regularly.

'I swim and work out at home for 25 minutes a day. It's amazing.'

Denise Welch also had success with lighter life