I weighed 21st & had gout at 28 after years of drugs, partying and booze – now I’m unrecognisable WITHOUT using fab jabs
HE was only 28 but was already suffering from gout, sleep apnoea, high blood pressure and was on the verge of type 2 diabetes.
Will Pattinson, originally from Australia but now living in London, grew up as a sporty kid, but a move to boarding school triggered homesickness and drinking on weekends to cope with his feelings.
The occasional boozing then led to a dangerous binge drinking habit — which led to further struggles with gambling and "party drugs".
“Looking back, I probably didn't fit into the intense environment of boarding school,” Will, 29, recalls. “By the end of Year 8, drinking started to creep in.
“The older I got the more accessible drinking was, and it pretty well blanketed my identity for 10 years as a reckless party person.
“The drugs started later, when I was about 21, as the drinking wasn't enough to get my dopamine hit, which then led to gambling to try to keep up with the fast-paced lifestyle I was living.”
Will felt his life spiralling out of control, leading to full-blown addictions to alcohol and substances.
As a self-proclaimed “massive binge drinker”, he wouldn’t touch alcohol during the week but when the weekends came around, he would drink constantly, abuse substances and not eat anything from Friday to Sunday.
“I had no stop button,” Will says. “I could go for days. I was in a cycle that I thought was just part of life.
“I was living an outrageous rollercoaster of a life and spiralling out of control.”
Once the alcohol binge was over, he would then binge on junk food and processed meals for the next week. His favourites were pizzas, burgers and soft drinks.
When Friday came around again, the vicious cycle of copious drinking and starving himself would start again.
This went on for 10 years.
Will remembers “living for the weekend”, spending most of his time planning binge after binge with his mates.
“I put 100 per cent of my time into that and didn’t get anything else done while having a full time job,” he says.
“I was working at a very low capacity and not enjoying it at all because I was continually planning for the weekends.
“There were plenty of dark days which were usually the comedowns, either on a Sunday evening or Monday morning, after no sleep for days on end.
“One particularly low point was a panic attack after a large bender of a cocktail of drugs.
“I was also slowly disconnecting from close family and friends because I was in an addictive state and very selfish.
“I didn’t think I had a problem until I hit rock bottom.”
Some people with gout get it everywhere and it’s like razor blades on your insides
Will Pattinson
Will’s weight increased over time, and as the drinking and binging got worse and worse, it peaked at 21st 6lbs (136kg).
Sometimes, he would be knocking back 30 drinks an evening. And because he was glugging sugary cocktails - his favourite being Long Island iced tea - some weekends he would consume between 20,000 and 30,000 calories.
Several doctors and health professionals raised concerns for his future, telling him if he didn’t sort himself out he would live a short life.
But as well as being in physical pain from the excess weight he was carrying, Will was in a dark place mentally.
“I was just lost in terms of who I was,” he says. “Because I started drinking at such a young age, I just thought it was normal. It warped my thinking.
“Having gout at my age due to the excessive drinking and poor lifestyle choices was also a massive concern, and massively painful, so that was another reason I wanted to stop drinking and change my life.
“I was having gout flares every second or third day.
“I would try to blame it on rolling my ankle, but in the back of my head, I knew it was from the drinking, which caused my uric acid to crystallise.
“Some people with gout get it everywhere and it’s like razor blades on your insides; with me, it affected my ankles. It was so extreme and painful I couldn’t sleep at night.”
Gout is a type of arthritis that causes sudden, severe joint pain.
While it can happen to anyone, you have a much higher chance of developing it if you are overweight and drink alcohol, as well as have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, kidney problems and diabetes.
The NHS says making healthy lifestyle choices may mean you can stop or reduce further gout attacks.
For years, Will tried a variety of intense diets and fitness programmes, but his addictions and unhealthy eating habits held him back.
“I felt terrible looking at people out there double my age moving better than me,” he recalls.
“I was continually icing my ankles from the severe gout and was probably mildly depressed, asking myself what I was doing on this earth.
“I had no idea where my future was going and was worried I would live a really short life if I kept doing what I was doing.”
After one particularly decadent weekend at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Will hit rock bottom. He felt completely lost and decided it was finally time to change things.
Instead of trying weight loss jabs like Ozempic or undergoing surgery to reduce his appetite, Will opted for hard graft alone.
He decided to sign up to personal training company Ultimate Performance, which assessed his lifestyle and gave him a strict personalised nutrition and exercise plan.
As he stood there on his first day, having his measurements and photos taken, Will was overwhelmed by the thought of the uphill battle ahead of him and ashamed that he had reached such a low point.
But he was determined to change. So as well as resolving to eat healthier and exercise regularly, Will also made a vow to himself to kick the drugs and alcohol.
BEFORE
Will would drink solidly from Friday to Sunday, sometimes consuming 30,000 in sugary cocktails in a single weekend. His favourite was Long Island iced tea.
He would barely eat during this time. But when his booze binge was over, he'd scoff junk food and processed meals, like pizzas, burgers and fizzy drinks.
NOW
He is in a calorie deficit, meaning he burns more calories than he consumes.
He also focuses on eating high-protein, low-carb meals, with a particular focus on chicken, fish, avocado and steak.
“Before I started my new journey, my diet was very poor, with a lot of processed food,” Will says.
“I’d either be exhausted from the drinking bender I’d been on at the weekend, or I would eat anything to try to make me feel good until the weekends would come around again and I could drink.”
Will’s trainer Paulo Cutin helped him overhaul these unhealthy habits in favour of better ones.
He was put into a calorie deficit (when you burn more calories than you consume) and instructed to eat high-protein, low-carb foods, with a particular focus on chicken, fish, avocado and steak.
During his transformation, he had a relapse with alcohol but was able to get back on track.
He attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and ultimately was able to quit drugs and alcohol through sheer willpower, focusing the energy he had spent on those destructive habits into a new love for exercise.
He tracked everything from his sleep to his step count on an app, and did strength training three to four times a week.
Will credits the discipline he learned from Paulo with helping him grow in confidence.
“What I learnt from Paulo is that if you stick to a process, and you’re willing to put the hard yards in and be disciplined with your diet and training, then you will see some amazing results, which we certainly have,” he says.
“As I tell myself, I’m only just getting started. For me, that means always wanting to achieve more.
“There was a time when I couldn’t even go into a shop and find clothes that fit me properly, which made my self-esteem plummet. But now, I feel incredible.
“I’m not just physically healthier, I also have a renewed sense of self-worth that improves every single day.”
Incredibly, in just one year Will was able to lose 6st 13lbs (44kg), dropping from 19st 13lbs (126.5kg) to 13st (82.5kg).
He went from a size XXXXL, with either a 38 or 40in waist, to wearing small to medium-sized clothes, with a 32in waist.
His body fat also dropped by 30.9 per cent as he built up his muscles and strength.
As well as seeing an incredible physical transformation, everything from Will’s mental wellbeing to the way he spends his time has been turned on its head.
- Don’t set yourself unrealistic goals because when you don’t achieve them, you’ll just end up banging your head against a brick wall. Take little steps, celebrate each small win, and keep on going.
- Watch your calorie count, keep your protein levels high, drink plenty of water and get your step count as high as possible.
- Walk as much as you can to start with, and hopefully you’ll be inspired to get running, which I certainly was!
- Say to yourself: ‘This is a lifestyle, not a chore.’ Stick with it, keep moving and stay disciplined with your diet in a good and balanced way.
- Only look back to realise you never want to be in that position again – that’s a great way to stay motivated for a brighter future. Put the past behind you, accept the number you see on the scales, because if you stay disciplined and consistent, that number is going to start dropping.
- Consistency is amazing: just keep showing up. In a couple of weeks, you’ll start to see other improvements and tick off little boxes that show the progress and the achievements you’ve made.
- It’s going to be daunting, for sure. And it’s going to be hard at the start when you see those initial photos and get on the scales, but you’ve only got one shot in life. You want to make it your best life.
- Starting off will always be difficult but just keep visualising the end goal and what you’ve set out to achieve, and you will keep on raising the bar higher and higher.
“I’m running an average of 25miles (40km) a week, which has blown me away because a year ago, I wouldn’t in my wildest dreams have imagined developing such a love of running,” Will adds.
“Before I started this transformation, I genuinely hated running. But now, if I’m just sitting around, or I’m bored, I just go for a run, out in the fresh air, listening to a bit of music, and it’s an amazing feeling.
“I don’t really feel the urge to have a drink or use substances anymore, but if there are times when I feel a bit flat, I go out for a run and it’s so good for clearing my mind.
“It can be easy for anyone with an addictive personality to slip up, so that’s always at the back of my mind, which is why I’m always either working out or running – every day.
“That helps keep things in check to prevent those behaviours happening again.”
As well as his trainer and the discipline Paulo taught him, Will credits social media with helping him stick to his fitness and health resolution — and he wants to take steps to be that inspiration for others struggling with addictions or other mental health problems.
“Because I have ADHD, I would listen to podcasts about how to minimise impulsive and addictive behaviours,” he says.
“For me, the alcohol was like throwing fuel on the fire, so listening to podcasts and following people on social media with inspiring fitness content was really helpful, which is why I want to do something similar to help others.”
Looking back now, I think to myself: ‘What the hell was I doing?’ It’s like a time lapse. Now that I’m fit and healthy, I feel 10 years younger
Will Pattinson
Will has started his own wellbeing company, WMP, which are his initials and also stand for “willing, motivation, performance”.
He hopes the platform will help others who want to go through a similar journey, providing inspiring content and motivational advice.
“I know I’ve been impulsive and wasted time making stupid decisions,” Will adds.
“But I want to show people that it is 100 per cent possible to excel and live a fulfilling life.
“If I could help someone else who is struggling with major health concerns, or who is stuck in a rut like I was, that would be so heartwarming for me.
“I want to be able to motivate them and help as many people as I can reach their full potential, and put smiles on as many faces as I can.”
Will feels better than ever, and can’t believe that he once had to put ice packs on his ankles due to pain.
He is now planning to run marathons in Paris and New York, and to complete the London Triathlon.
“When I was living that unhealthy life, looking back, I was a very lost, destructive person with no purpose in life,” he adds.
“I have a fighting mentality and if I put my mind to something, I will achieve it.
“Before, I was never really excited about anything in life. This feels like a new journey for me, a new chapter in my life, and I can put everything behind me.
“Yes, you’ve got that emotional tattoo of knowing what you’ve been through, but now I just want to move forwards and only look backwards as the occasional reminder to never slip back into those habits.
“Looking back now, I think to myself: ‘What the hell was I doing?’ It’s like a time lapse.
“Now that I’m fit and healthy, I feel 10 years younger.”
thesun
