Ben Edgson from South Wales has revealed how he transformed his health and lost seven stone after a comment from his son. The 39-year-old weighed more than 19 stone and struggled with obesity, depression, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, and high blood pressure. His golden rule was simple: 100 press-ups every single day, posted on social media for accountability, alongside Mounjaro weight-loss injections.
Secret eating habits
Ben described himself as a secret eater, hiding jumbo chocolate bars in his house and car. He would eat extra-large Big Mac meals with extra cheese and sauce, plus two double cheeseburgers, washed down with a chocolate milkshake, alone in his car before returning home from work.
"If we needed bread or milk, I'd be the first to volunteer. Not because I was being helpful, but because it gave me an excuse to buy a couple of chocolate bars and eat them before I got home," Ben said. He also recalled buying two tubs of Ben & Jerry's on a buy-one-get-one-free offer, hiding them outside the house, and eating both that night.
Turning point on holiday
Ben's addiction to ultra-processed snacks left him battling obesity and depression. Despite constant snacking, he never felt full. "I'd try dieting over and over again, but I was stuck in this cycle of helplessness," he said. He also expressed frustration that foods designed to be irresistible are widely available: "They're not really food. They're consumable products, but they're not something we should be eating."
The motivation for change came during a family holiday in Turkey. His 11-year-old son Zach commented on another man's six-pack on the beach. "I was lying there with my gut hanging out, thinking I wanted to be the dad my kids looked up to. It was disappointing being the fat dad," Ben said. He felt embarrassed and worried his children would follow in his footsteps.
Transformation and new mission
Ben started taking Mounjaro injections, which quietened the constant "food noise" that fuelled his overeating. He built meals around lean protein, rice, and vegetables, and lost seven stone over a year, taking his weight to just over 12 stone. His health problems reversed, and he gradually tapered off Mounjaro.
"It's gone really well coming off the injections. Normally I'd get hungry two days before my weekly jab, but this time I didn't," Ben said. He now wants to inspire a million others to get moving. "My biggest tip for someone using GLP1s is to do resistance training alongside, like using weights, bands or body weight calisthenics, and to eat a high protein diet to resist against muscle loss," he advised.
After a shoulder injury, Ben switched from press-ups to burpees, then to Tai Chi, which he demonstrates on social media as @mydisciplinedrive. More than a year on, he has not missed a single day of movement. He is now training for an Ironman and says he feels as good as he did in his twenties. "This transformation has changed my whole family's trajectory - it's not just changed me," he said.
