Dad's incredible 30-stone transformation as he takes up new PT career

Dad's incredible 30-stone transformation as he takes up new PT career Jack Ako has launched his own personal training business and is preparing to participate in his first bodybuilding competition following an incredible transformation A man who ballooned to 300kg after bingeing on 10,000 calories a day shed more than half of his body weight and is set to become a competitive bodybuilder after a stunning 30-stone transformation. Jack Ako, 29, weighed a staggering 47 stone at his heaviest thanks to a fast food diet of takeaway pizzas, burgers, crisps and chocolate. He was left "embarrassed" by the weight gain, and "got sick" of looking at himself in the mirror, and he decided to tackle his food addiction and shed his fat. Jack was able to turn his life around and take up a new career as a personal trainer - and he's now preparing to compete in his first bodybuilding competition after piling on the muscle. Over the course of four years Jack, from Wakefield in West Yorkshire, was able to lose 190kg, dropping his weight from 30 to 16.5 stone. The dad switched fat for lean muscle by having a gastric band fitted, changing his diet and going to the gym. Jack said: "I was embarrassed by my size, and at times I didn't know how much longer I had to live. But now, after losing all the weight I have, I can't believe how I used to live at that size. "I was told by doctors that there was a five-year waiting lists for help - but to be honest I didn't think I would survive that long. I've gone from not being able to walk up stairs to running 5kms easily and lifting heavy weights. I'm living proof that no matter how big you are, you can become the person you want to be." Jack said he has long been a "big lad" having been born weighing 13 pounds, nearly double the average 7.5 pound weight for a newborn child. He said he was the "biggest kid in school" and the most overweight on the rugby team, with the weight only piling on after he stopped playing sports aged 18. His eating habits worsened still when he landed a job running a bookies, and he'd feast on Greggs on his way to the office. He said: "Before setting off for work I would have some toast at home with my family. But before I would get to the office, I would stop off at Greggs and get two breakfast sandwiches." "Then I would have my packed lunch, but then I would also nip out and get either fast food or a meal deal. And before coming home I would grab a pizza or KFC and then have my tea. I would then be sat behind a computer all day watching TV or gambling - it wasn't a good environment. "I was eating around 10,000 calories a day easily while doing minimal exercise." The habits meant that, by age 25, Jack weighed a staggering 46.8 stone, causing some family and friends to become "worried". He said: "I would also look in the mirror and hate the way I was so I decided to do something about it." Jack said he first went to the NHS but they only offered limited help. So in April 2022 he flew out to Turkey and had a gastric band fitted privately which he said shrank his stomach for 18 months. The surgery enabled him to lose 15 stone, but he still wasn't eating well. He continued: "I still wasn't eating well, but I was eating a lot less as I felt fuller for longer which helped me start losing weight." When the 18 months of his gastric band were up in 2024, Jack had managed to bring his weight down to 27 stone. The dad said it was from then that he decided to take his weight loss seriously. He said: "I thought to myself I have come this far, lets see how far I can take it. "I started researching nutrition and the gym and how I could become healthy for myself." Now two years on, he weighs 16 stone and has successfully regained his body by losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. He also attributes his wife for helping him stay consistent by helping cook his meals and offering encouragement. And he has continued to go under the knife, flying back to Turkey twice to have excess skin removal surgery done. He has since started his own weight loss coaching business - Akotrainz. The dad is helping people who were once in his position shed pounds and feel comfortable in their own skin. Jack said: "Sometimes I feel annoyed that I have wasted 10 years of my life being that size. "But to get into shape, this isn't a secret exercise or diet - it is about winning each day. It is about being consistent and being there for yourself. The biggest change for me since losing weight is that I am now seen as a reliable person for my family, especially for my daughter." "Before, my mum or my wife would never bother to ask for my help but now I am the first person they call. It has given me a purpose in life and allowed me to feel like a provider for my family, which I have always wanted to be." He has since got into bodybuilding and in a few weeks will be taking part in the Pure Elites World Championship bodybuilding show in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The dad said: “It’s a transformation category where they put a photo up of you at your worst, and then you come out as you are now. “You show the world what you've done, and hopefully you win because you've got the best transformation.” For Jack, the competition is more about standing on that stage knowing he once weighed 47 stone. He said: “This is about showing people who are sat at home who don't think their lives are worth anything, or don't think that they could achieve such a thing, that anybody can do anything. Because if I, after 47 stone, can compete in a world championship category, then you really can literally do anything.” Jack now hopes to share his weight loss journey by doing talks in schools and community groups. JACK'S DIET BEFORE Breakfast: -Toast -Two secret Greggs breakfast muffins -Coffee Lunch: - Packed lunch of ham sandwich and bag of crisps -Secret fast food lunch of McDonald's or a meal deal Coca-Cola Dinner: -Lasagne -Secret pizza or KFC Snacks -Chocolate and crisps Drinks - Full-fat sugary drinks JACK'S DIET AFTER Breakfast: -Yoghurt, fruit, honey, with protein powder -Coffee Lunch: -Chicken stir-fry and veg -Water Dinner: -Chicken Curry and veg -Water Snacks: -Bowl of oatmeal and banana -Zero sugar energy drink