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 but now living in , 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 habit — which led to further struggles with and “party “.
“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 to 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 and 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 – his favourite being Long Island iced tea – some weekends he would consume between 20,000 and 30,000 calories.
Several doctors and 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 he was carrying, Will was in a dark place .
‘WARPED THINKING'
“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.”;
is a type of that causes sudden, severe .
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 , , kidney problems and .
The NHS says making may mean you can stop or reduce further attacks.
For years, Will tried a variety of intense and 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.”;
ROCK BOTTOM
After one particularly decadent weekend at in , , Will hit rock bottom. He felt completely lost and decided it was finally time to change things.
Instead of trying like or undergoing 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 and , Will also made a vow to himself to kick the drugs and alcohol.
“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 (when you burn more calories than you consume) and instructed to eat , foods, with a particular focus on chicken, fish, avocado and steak.
RENEWED SENSE OF SELF-WORTH
During his transformation, he had a relapse with alcohol but was able to get back on track.
He attended 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 to his on an app, and did 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 to the way he spends his time has been turned on its head.
“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 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 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.”;
A NEW CHAPTER
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 in and , 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.”;
