Yahoo News 'I made a decision on all-inclusive Turkey holiday - and it changed my life'
A Manchester United fan has revealed how he’s shed six stone after making a life-changing decision while on an all-inclusive trip to Turkey.
Charlie Murphy dropped from over 22 stone to 16 and a half after ditching his football snacks, takeaways and litres of fizzy drinks for lean meats and the gym. Now, the 29-year-old carer has dropped from a 3XL football shirt to an XL.
Charlie said: “I used to eat loads of pizzas, takeaways, chocolate, sweets, everything unhealthy. I’d wash it down with litres of fizzy drinks which I had with most meals.”
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Charlie said he also used to overindulge at football games while watching his favourite team, Manchester United.
“I’ve been a Manchester United fan all my life but I only properly started going to watch games at the ground in 2019 with my wife. While I was there I was eating any treats that I fancied - pies, burgers, you name it, I’d eat it.”
It wasn’t until an all-inclusive visit to Turkey in May 2023 that Charlie realised his eating habits were out of control and he needed to take action.
Charlie said: “While I was on the holiday I was at my heaviest weight of 22 stone and 4 pounds.
“I just felt unhealthy and self-conscious about my weight and from out of nowhere, something clicked in me to make a change. I got home, got rid of all the junk food and signed up to the gym.”
Charlie was able to shed the weight by sticking to a gym routine and eating healthy, lean meat from Muscle Food. He’s turned his back on unhealthy post-match treats and takeaways and instead now enjoys cooking up lean chicken, beef and other meats from the healthy food retailer.
“I now go to the gym four to five times a week with weekly check-ins with my PT so we can work on my progress and set new targets going forward," he said.
“At first I was strict with my routine and what I did but now I go because I actually enjoy it and not just because I need to lose weight.”
Charlie says he’s cut down on unhealthy food both at football games and at home, with him now only eating junk food in moderation.
“I’ve learned over time how to be consistent in my workouts and be more disciplined when it comes to junk food. I now eat it but in moderation. It’s not all of the time like it was before.
“It was hard at first but I was determined to do it and because I made sure there was a routine in place to help make it easier, I’ve been able to stick to it."
He has also shared his weight loss journey on his TikTok account, CharlieMurphy50, to help inspire others hoping to lose weight. One video reached just shy of 2 million views and 55,400 likes for showcasing his before and after.
Talking about his weight loss journey, Charlie, from North Yorkshire, added: “Even though I’m proud of the huge amount of weight I’ve lost, I’ve still got a bit to go until I reach my goal of 95kg.
“To do this I’m making sure I stick to my healthy eating while carrying on with the gym and having a proper routine in place so I don’t fall out of the loop.
“The lean meats and healthy snacks I’ve been able to buy from MuscleFood have been a huge help. Because it’s delivered directly to my door, I’m not tempted by all the unhealthy foods I’d be seeing if I headed to the supermarket. And it all tastes amazing too."
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