Toms_nutrition

Hi, I just want to say firstly a big thank you for even taking time to read this. ☺️ I really do appreciate it with all my heart ❤️

Me setting up this page wasn't my idea. I have a page on Instagram (toms_nutrition) where I share my weightloss and cancer journey which as turned into my hobby and love for cooking and helping people save money and lose weight (which if you look into my hightlights you can see this has been a success at no cost) 


I give out useful advice that can change someone’s life for the better.
And 4 years on, I’m still here helping people as much as I possibly can in my little spare time (which is not much).


A little bit about me........

I was always the fat kid in school, constantly bullied, punched and called all the names under the sun with anything to do with fat.

At 12years old I had lost 6st, with the help of a dietician that the school nurse directed me to.  I kept it off for a couple of years, but with stress of exams, and not being very popular, I started comfort eating! Food made me happy! The weight just piled on.... and on! 

My mum always wanted me to go into the Army but for me this never went through my mind.
But when I came round to it, I thought if I get into the Army, they will sort my weight out, they will get me fit, I’ll gain confidence, and I’ll have a great career.........
So I went to the Army careers, they just turned me away and said I was to big, which again knocked my confidence they told me that I would need to be able to run a mile or two.
At that moment, that was my “trigger point” my mindset just instantly changed.

I needed to shift this weight! That was my goal! I didn’t give myself a target weight, I didn’t sign up anywhere with someone, I didn’t follow a diet.......

I isolated myself to myself and I focussed on exercise, cutting down the junk food, I converted my shed at my mums into a little gym, put a bench in there, a exercise bike, a tv and a radio with some weights. I started to cycle to work, I walked all over and as much as I could, I was determined.

There was no social media, no smart phones, nothing! One of my biggest regrets is not been able to film the whole process as I went along.

18 months onwards........I had gone from just under 21st to my lowest ever weight at 10st 2lbs. I went back to the Army and they could not believe my motivation, transformation and my determination. It became real when I said my oath of allegiance.
I had passed the Army selection with flying colours! My career was sorted! I went in the Royal Armoured Corp and I was based at Winchester Barracks.

Things changed!

I was not in the Army long, I got medically discharged! Everything just seemed to change so quickly, I was feeling tired a lot, feeling faint, dizzy, I just wasn’t myself, but I got my papers signed off and before you know it I was back home.

When I was 23 year old, I was still into my fitness and eating very well which I followed no diet. During this time I was in a bad relationship which nearly made me take my own life twice, the scars haunt me to this day!
This relationship did come to an end,  it had to.

Now never in a million years did I know the next part of my life was going to happen...

Social media was just getting bigger about this time, I still was still continuing with my weightloss and maintaining it.
But I had met a girl (Cheryl) on Facebook. It was funny how we met tbh, she was arguing with me, “how did I know her mate” .
We exchanged messages for about 2 months before we met. I was working with for the police at the time.
I remember being so tired all the time, having stomach pains and just never had any energy, but with me only just meeting Cheryl it cancelled it all out and I never thought about it, I ignored it and enjoyed my time getting to know cheryl.

The road to be a survivor began!.......

There were times when I was sleeping at Cheryl’s and I could barely sleep on one side of my body. I was never fond of going to the doctors, I hated going. I am one of those people that never rings in work sick, I could be dying and I’ll still go into work........after just 2 months of meeting Cheryl, she dragged me the doctors!

The doctors felt my stomach, did what they had to do etc, then directed me to the hospital for some scans. The doctor had thought I could have an enlarged spleen. So it’s just safe to get it checked at the hospital.

Once I had my checks the news came then that I had cancer. The cancer was contained in my kidney, November 25th was my diagnosed day 2008!
I’ll never forget that day!

I kept on asking myself lots of questions (am I going to die? What’s happening? how have I got it? Why have I got it?Can they take it away that night? I was asking and thinking all sorts of things).

I had to wait till New Year’s Eve I was brought back in hospital to have my Radical Nephrectomy for the next day which was New Years day.

Happy new year! On This day 1/1/2009 I was in theatre for over 14hrs.

On the 28/01/2009 (tattoo on my left wrist) i got the all clear, They had told me the Tumor was 5lbs in weight, and it was contained in the kidney and it didn't spread anywhere else, one thing that I didn’t need was chemo or radiotherapy, I was amazed by this, I was off work for a long time.

During my recovery I set myself goals to get back on my feet, I wanted to raise money for cancer charities and 10 months after radical nephrectomy I had achieved a 10k run! It was tough and I raised over £2k I found that with the goals I set myself helped me get motivated and determined to fight this in how I was feeling.

Although the cancer was gone , it was still in my mind it was there. It drove me crazy! Within a 4 year period I was doing these cancer charity events including a 100mile bike ride, Manchester to Blackpool bike ride, a marathon, skydive. And more runs. I raised a lot of money for my chosen charities (cancer research UK and Christie’s) whilst I was doing this I was seeking professional mental help.


I always kept positive towards my fitness, and didn’t want my achievements in life to fail, that’s where my motivation was but in the back of my head, i thought it was the end, I expected the cancer to come back! Because of the size of it and how aggressive it was, it played with my mind. Till this day I still get regular check ups and scans etc. 

Again my journey went from tough to even tougher when my mum became blind after working in the police for over 25yrs. She suffered from diabetes for years, and this has taken eyesight now and she has dialysis 3 times a week. She had major heart surgery a couple of years back and hopeful one day she can get a kidney donor. This broke me. Till this day we have to check on her every other day, take pressure off my father who is nearly 80yrs old, and again showing strength, determination, motivation to keep up my health and fitness and sharing my progress whilst working full time, and keeping up with my Instagram, has been hard work but has helped hundreds of people. 

So this is my whole journey but there is just one thing that I dont like to talk about which is my loose skin, this I would love to have removed, but I got declined it with the nhs 4 times. To which i have had a lot of Instagram followers asking me to set this page up, so they can give me something back, for helping them out, helping them save money, lose weight, give them free advice and give them my time, which I charge nothing for. 

For years I’ve always been conscience of taking my top off, I wouldn’t go swimming or if I did I had to wear a T-shirt, I’d still think I’m that fat kid from back in the day. 
Although I’d achieved big things, I still couldn’t get my head straight mentally  about the scars my weightloss had left me with. Although I had lost the weight natural, following no diet and using weights and exercising, losing over 10st I’m never going to get away from loose skin. When I had the radical nephrectomy they took away some skin away from me. 

No matter how small it is, I really appreciate it , coz to me I would never in a million years do anything like this, as I'm the one that usually gives and helps people.

With having children, mortgage, and bills to pay, and the money I earn is to protect my family, water and feed them, and save up for a bigger house, there’s no way I can afford surgery of this nature. 

Having this surgery will change my life for ever, even if you donate £1 or what ever, every little donation helps. I promise to keep doing what I’m doing to the best of my ability to ensure you live a healthy sustainable lifestyle so you don’t have to go through what I’ve had to go through (without the cancer of course) 

Ive never asked for a penny from anyone, this is why it’s not gone through my mind about trying to make money from my Instagram, I just enjoy helping people as much as I can.  This is my nature and character of who I am. Those that follow me on Instagram will tell you that. 

So if you could share this story for me, I would be most grateful as I don’t have Facebook either, and again thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time out to read this. Much love ❤️


Thank you

Tom (toms_nutrition)