09 August 2023 , 09:58
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Tobie Vermeire was always an active sportsman growing up, playing football, rugby and cricket - but he found himself piling on the pounds after leaving school at 16.
Chocolate was his vice, with Tobie tucking into 32 Double Deckers a week. He would start his day with a full English breakfast in a baguette, followed by a four-pack of chocolate bars at 11am and two Domino's pizzas and Pringles for lunch. Every evening, Tobie tucked into a Chinese takeaway and a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, plus another chocolate bar.
In 2020, Tobie weighed 26 stone and was eating 10,000 calories a day. Unable to pull his own socks up or walk up a flight of stairs, he realised that his addiction to food was having a huge impact on his health. And so one day, he decided to give it all up.
Tobie would eat two Domino's pizzas and a four-pack of Double Deckers for lunch (Tobie Vermeire / SWNS)
He gave up his 35-bars-a-week addiction to improve his health and save his life (Tobie Vermeire / SWNS)"The reason I lost all this weight is because I was scared of dying. I had to come to terms with the fact I had an addiction to food," Tobie, of Bromyard, Herefordshire, said. "I had to treat it like a drug addiction. I had to retrain my mind. Little steps had to be taken to achieve a greater goal."
His love of boxing was his main motivation. Wanting to get in shape so that he could fight alongside athletes, he said: "I've always loved boxing. When I was overweight I'd be sat there eating my Ben and Jerry's ice cream watching the boxing. These guys were my heroes," Tobie said. "'I'm an insurance broker by trade so the fitness plan was like my job. I did it in a way I could understand and which made it possible to achieve."
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Tobie needed XXXL clothes with a 46-inch waist when he began his journey. The 31-year-old managed to lose 12 stone in 12 months by stepping into the gym and ring. He now weighs 14-and-a-half stone and has just been granted his pro boxing license, following three years of hard work and dedication.
He weighed 26st and ate 10,000 calories a day, including two takeaways and a tub of ice cream (Tobie Vermeire / SWNS)
Tobie was motivated to lose weight after watching boxing on TV and dreamt of getting in the ring (Tobie Vermeire / SWNS)"I started out in the amateurs, fighting in UK tournaments, as well as in Sweden. My aim, when I was 26 stone, was to become a pro boxer within three years," he explained. "That was the catalyst and what helped me commit to it. I had to lose all the weight, while also learning one of the toughest sports in the world. I had to learn how to box. The levels in amateur boxing are huge. I was boxing GB prospects after just a few fights."
He now trains three times a day, six days a week and currently has ten amateur bouts under his belt. He's already managed to chalk up several victories but is now ready to challenge at a higher level following his dramatic weight loss. "I want to enjoy my journey but also get something to put on my mantelpiece," he said. "I'm not going to become the best boxer in the world, but I want to go as far as my talent will take me."
The 31-year-old is now a professional boxer and has lost 15st in the last three years (Cliff Williams / SWNS)Tobie's diet before
Breakfast - Full English breakfast baguette
Snack - Four pack of Double Deckers
Lunch - Two pizzas, crisps and doughnuts, more chocolate
Dinner - Large takeaway (either another pizza or Chinese)
After meal snacks - Tub of Ben and Jerry's and large bar of Dairy Milk and some more Double Deckers or Wispa golds
Tobie's diet now
Breakfast - Black coffee and small snack
Lunch - Mexican salad with chicken
Afternoon - Date bar snack or low calorie option
Dinner - Prawn curry with plenty of veg
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