Man loses 11 stone in 11 months after getting hooked on one exercise

14 February 2024 , 12:48

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Daniel was worried about getting stuck in seats and got out of breath walking up stairs

Finding an exercise that you actually enjoy doing can be life-changing - and it certainly was for Daniel Morris.

The dad-of-two once weighed over 26 stone and struggled to get by on a daily basis - getting out of breath walking up the stairs and 'visibly sweating' in his clothes. His larger size had a huge impact on his mental health and self-esteem and he often felt 'anxious and depressed'.

"I felt terrible most of the time. I was out of breath walking upstairs, always panicking about visibly sweating when walking into college or school, and even worried if I could fit into classroom seats," Daniel said of weighing 26st 10lbs at university. "Then, of course, there was the mental aspect of it. I was often anxious and depressed.

"Any time I went somewhere new, I noticed people treating me differently - it was almost as if they felt they had to tiptoe around me or avoid me altogether. But I'd been a larger person for so long, that I felt it had become an unchangeable part of who I was."

Then Daniel made a life-changing decision to embark on a health journey, starting with small fitness goals. After falling in love with one exercise, he lost a whopping 11st in just 11 months. He said: "I was constantly dismissed as one of those stereotypical 'just big guys', so if I can do it, anyone can."

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He weighed 26st 10lbs at his heaviest during university and wasn't happy

Daniel lost an incredible 11st in just 11 months after falling in love with one exercise

At the beginning of his final year at Birmingham University in 2015, he decided it was time to make a change. "I was due to travel across America after I completed my degree, and this became a huge inspiration for losing weight," he said.

"I wanted to feel my best and not hold my friends back, as we had so many exciting things planned. I was worried about everything, from fitting into plane seats, to being out of breath on our planned hikes at the Grand Canyon." He started off with small walks each day and soon got into cycling. But it was running that got him hooked.

"I started off with workouts consisting of walks, 15 minutes on the static bike and strength training," he explained. "Over time, this developed into a full strength routine, and eventually being able to run long distance. In the early days, I slowly built up my distance by running for 30-second intervals at a time. Soon enough, I was addicted."

The now-32-year-old found that running was a great way to maintain his weight loss in the long term - and best of all, he enjoyed it. "I lost a stone a month during the 11 months of my final year at university, so I reached my target weight before graduation," he said, proudly.

Daniel fell in love with running and got 'addicted' to setting himself challenges

Daniel, who works as a teacher at a special educational needs and disabilities school in Nuneaton, has now signed up to the Adidas Manchester Marathon to mark the next milestone in his journey. "I ran my first half marathon in October 2023, and I've run more than 2,000km in total last year. With that under my belt, the adidas Manchester Marathon felt like the next step," he said.

The dad-of-two now weighs 15st 7lbs, which is the lowest he has ever been, and is planning to run with his wife of five years. He said: "I'm so inspired by people who are participating in massive running challenges - for example, Jonny Davies running the entire tube line, or Russ Cook running in South Africa. Who knows, it could be time for an ultramarathon next!"

As well as feeling confident enough to take on huge challenges, Daniel loves being able to buy clothes off the hanger and play football "without fear of being judged by others". "I have a much more positive outlook on life," he said. "I'm hugely grateful that my body is now able to take on these massive fitness challenges - it is just the best feeling ever."

By participating in the event, Daniel hopes to inspire others in a similar situation to make a change. He shared: "It almost sounds too simple, but the best advice I can give is to just put one foot in front of the other. Set smaller and more manageable goals that then feed into a larger goal and most importantly - believe in yourself!"

You can sign up to the Adidas Manchester Marathon online and join in with Daniel on Sunday, April 14.

Nia Dalton