Junk food addict from Killarney loses 7 STONE in 7 months and now he's a bodybuilder

Home Top

A life in dog years: Heart-melting pictures of our faithful friends growing from puppyhood to old age
Schoolteacher is struck in the head and killed by roller coaster while he searched for lost iPhone at Ohio amusement park
This is what porn does to your brain
Police patrols swarm theaters nationwide for fear of violence and riots on debut weekend of Straight Outta Compton
Furious William and Kate issue letter slamming the paparazzi stalking Prince George after police catch photographer hiding in car near children's play area
Lord of the Rings actor warns 'we have lost our moral compass completely' and fears the end of 'Western civilization' due to ISIS threat in Middle East
American flag flies over US Embassy in Cuba for first time in 54 years - as John Kerry and the three Marines who brought the stars and stripes down in 1961 attend a historic ceremony in Havana
The music of Martha's Vineyard: President Obama releases his summer playlist on Spotify and it's a sixties-centric list with classics from Bob Dylan, John Coltrane and the Rolling Stones
Obama unveils his 6-book summer reading list that covers Nazis, racism and mass extinction (but how will he read them with all that golf?)
Honor student who 'texted her friend telling him to get back in his truck and gas himself to death' argues encouraging someone else to commit suicide is NOT a crime
The 'exercise hormone' really DOES exist: Irisin 'triggers weight loss and could pave the way for obesity drug'
Women's basketball coach accused of sexually abusing a player whom he then 'tried to pay off to prevent her bringing charges against him'
'We are in love!' Jenna Bush Hager gives birth to her second daughter, Poppy Louise - and reveals the newborn is named for her 'darling' grandpa George H. W. Bush
The brow trick that makes you look younger instantly: Beauty guru demonstrates how to cheat your way to a youthful arch that'll knock years off your face
Argue in front of your kids, getting married ruins relationships, and never stay with someone you don't love: People reveal the love-life advice their parents gave them
Mystery of Virginia mother who went missing after telling her husband she was going to get a head X-ray... but actually left the clinic without seeing a doctor
Are Lego Star Wars sets stifling your child's creativity? Using instructions to build toys harms youngsters' problem solving skills
Have we been queuing all wrong? Lines move faster if the person at the back is served first, study finds
The pictures killer dentist 'tried paying $20,000 to stop you seeing': How Dr Walter illegally shot this bear and then 'tried bribing the guides to cover it up' - 10 years before slaughtering Cecil the lion
Alaska troopers baffled by 'bear botherer' who wears furry costume to harass grizzlies
Bears get freaked out by 'UFOs' too: Predators freeze and their heart rate goes through the roof when they are buzzed
The kiss that says it's over: Canadian teacher is greeted by his emotional family following 10 years in prison, after his conviction for sexually abusing students in Indonesia is dramatically overturned
Honor student who 'texted her friend telling him to get back in his truck and gas himself to death' argues encouraging someone else to commit suicide is NOT a crime
EXCLUSIVE: Pregnant mum disgusted to learn her photo was stolen by a Facebook creep and used to lure viewers to 'PREGGOPHILA' fetish site

John Doyle, 23 from Killarney, Co. Kerry, weighed 20st 1lb
Grew jealous of his super-fit cousin Shane who 'trained hard'
Ditched junk food and lifted weights to lose more than eight stone

Published: 03:07 EST, 14 August 2015 | Updated: 04:57 EST, 14 August 2015

View
comments

A morbidly obese teenager who grew jealous of his super-fit cousin has revealed how he ditched his junk food habit to shed more than eight stone.

John Doyle, 23, from Killarney, Co. Kerry, weighed 20st 1lb after indulging in pizzas, chocolate, fizzy drinks and crisps.

After turning to his cousin Shane for inspiration, he started working out and managed to lose seven stone in seven months - eventually slimming to 11st 9lbs.

In July 2010, John Doyle, from Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland was morbidly obese at 20st 1lb (left). But the teenager overhauled his lifestyle to reach 11st 9lbs by December (right)

Now 23, John has built up and sculpted his physique with weightlifting and training

Once he reached his target weight aged 21, he started building muscle using the Built by Science program on fitness site Bodybuilding.com.

Now 23, John has sculpted his physique with the programme, weighing in at a muscle-dense 14st. His body fat has also dropped from 28 to 15 per cent.

John Doyle is a fan of the 'Big Man on Campus' syllabus

John said: 'I was heavy all through my teenage years. People teased me and called me names. It hurt a lot.

'I was tired of always being the fat kid and being picked last in all the sports I played because I wasn't fit enough. College didn't help any. I gained three stone in the first year. Something had to change.'

The teenager was inspired by his super-fit cousin, and decided to pick his brain for weight loss tips.

Cousin Shane (left) inspired John (right, pictured with his two sisters) to embark on his transformation

He said: 'I noticed that my cousin Shane was training hard and had lost a lot of weight. I was jealous.

'At the beginning of my transformation, I used him as my inspiration and asked him loads of questions. We still talk about weight loss every week, and now we even chat about the prospect of bodybuilding, which is my next goal.'

John was studying adventure tourism management in college, taking part in outdoor sports including rock climbing, kayaking, hill walking and mountain biking.

However, struggling to keep up with his classmates, he finally decided to join a Weight Watchers group in his hometown of Killarney.

John signed up in July 2010 and managed to follow the programme, despite juggling his studies with a part-time job.

He said: 'I cut out all the junk food. Before my decision to change, I ate takeaways, pizzas, chocolate, fizzy drinks and crisps. You name it, I probably ate it.

'I started to prepare my own meals from scratch and introduced more fresh fruit and vegetables to my daily intake. Preparing my own meals gave me great control and insight into what I was fuelling myself with.

'It led me to discover that I love cooking. I have begun baking healthy muffins and bread from the recipes on Bodybuilding.com.'

DIET BEFORE

Breakfast: Sandwich and fizzy drink

Lunch: Chicken roll with chips or a burger

Dinner: Pizza or Chinese takeaway

Snacks: Fizzy drinks and multipacks of crisps and chocolate bars

DIET AFTER

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, brown bread

Lunch: Pasta, vegetables and chicken

Dinner: Sweet potato with veg and steak

Snacks: Fruit, protein shakes, mixed nuts, water

John overhauled his diet, ditching takeaways and eating lots of complex carbs and protein

Now, John weighs in at a muscle-dense 14st. His body fat has dropped from 28% to 15%

'I was always active in sports, but because of my poor diet and lack of real effort, I could never be my absolute best.

'So, I started really simply and worked my way up. I started walking with my dad, sister, and our dogs Sam and Odie. Every week, we went a little longer and a little faster.

Use negativity to drive your training - don't let it bring you down.

'After I built that base, I got out on my mountain bike or road bike for various spins. I always set a target of how long I would cycle and how far.

'The next time I rode, I would try to better the time and distance.'

Eventually John joined the gym and started an exercise regime which included swimming, spinning classes and running on the treadmill.

He said: 'After that, the weight started flying off. I haven't looked back since.

'One of my biggest regrets is not finding weights from the beginning... I absolutely love the feeling weightlifting gives me. I have set new goals to transform my body and be more muscular. So keep watching!'

John advises anyone trying to lose weight to set themselves a goal and have conviction.

He said: 'You have to believe in what you want and reinforce it every day, no matter if it's weight loss or bodybuilding.

John says he regularly sets new goals to transform his body and be more muscular

John was inspired by his super-fit cousin, and now wants to build a 'bigger, stronger body'

'I always reward myself before I start my next journey. I buy a new shirt that is too small and I use it as my focus point.

'I spend good money on it and I want to wear it, so I hang it where I will see it every day. Now I have a new top for my next goal to build a bigger, stronger body. I see that every day and I find motivation from it.'

John believes that knowledge is the key and has swotted up on his body and nutrition, so he knows exactly what he needs to fuel it.

'Now that I know how to train and eat, if I ever have an issue with weight again, I have the tools to get right back in shape,' he added.

'Find a role model and gain inspiration from their achievements. I read many sports biographies from various athletes and it helped me focus when I felt low.

'You have to build up your self-discipline to succeed. When hunger strikes and unhealthy options are readily available, you have to have the strength to make a good choice.'

Now he follows a bodybuilding programme and religiously records his workouts and his progress on an app.

He said: 'I was always told that I wasn't fast enough, that I couldn't jump high enough, or that I was too heavy to be good at sports.

'When I was on training spins, I let these taunts play in my mind and used them to rev me up so I could push harder. Use negativity to drive your training - don't let it bring you down.'