'I ended my romance to lose weight - 12st later, I'm unrecognisable'

Finley Tyson found it tough to even just look in the mirror two years ago. At his heaviest, the Leicestershire resident weighed 27 stone, but has now shed an impressive 14st and 9lbs, with most of the loss following a breakup.

In December 2023, Finley made a firm decision to revamp his lifestyle for good, starting with ending his two-year relationship. Speaking to What's The Jam, he revealed:“The relationship ended mainly because I knew what I needed to do to lose the weight.

“And I didn’t see how I could do it in a relationship. I was holding the other person back due to my insecurities with being overweight. I didn’t aim particularly to have a glow, I just wanted to be healthier and feel better within myself.

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“I definitely used to lack confidence. I would always wear jumpers and struggled to look in the mirror.”

The design and technical lead embarked on his journey by swapping full sugar drinks for diet versions, replacing fast food with home-cooked meals, and stocking up on burritos and granola bars. He confessed: "I have a crazy sweet tooth, so sugary drinks and sweets and chocolate were my biggest problem."

Before his life-altering breakup, Finley's daily menu was laden with McMuffins for breakfast, cheese toasties for lunch, pizza for dinner, and a constant stream of sweets or chocolate as snacks. Now, the Ashby-de-la-Zouch local has completely cut out his evening meal.

Finley has embraced intermittent fasting, eating only between 7am and 1pm and opting for gym sessions over dinner. His rigorous weightlifting routine lasts around an hour and 15 minutes, followed by half an hour of cardio.

Even on days off, he's at the gym working up a sweat on the stair master or treadmill rather than lifting weights. Reflecting on his transformation, the 25 year old shared: "My relationships and general life have improved drastically, and I'm so much more confident in my body. It has had such an impact on every aspect of my life and health."

Finley also took to TikTok to document his impressive weight loss journey, garnering heaps of support, with some followers humorously asking 'will someone break up with me?' to achieve similar results. Finley said:“I’ve tried not to look at comments too much. A lot are about the idea of a person in a relationship having to work on themselves during not after, but sometimes it doesn’t work like that, and everyone’s circumstances are different.

“I don’t really care much about negativity, I’ve worked too hard on myself to care about negative opinions. People always congratulate me on the work I have put in, and most people regularly see how hard I worked to get to where I am.”