Hi. I'm Dave Williams. I'm 28.
I'm from Manchester.
A couple of years ago, you wouldn't recognise me.
I was 6' 3" and 21.5 stone.
That was the biggest that I've been, and the worst, really.
No motivation.
I never really did exercise. I never wanted to.
All I wanted to do was watch TV and eat.
I was 26, and feeling really ill, and having to sit down and stuff,
and it just made me think, "Something's not right here."
And I had a diabetes and cholesterol check,
because diabetes and cholesterol both run in the family.
I found out I was borderline diabetic and high cholesterol.
It hits you like a train,
and I didn't want to be on tablets for the rest of my life,
and if I carried on the way that I was going,
I wouldn't even make it to 35.
I was bad, very bad.
I had to make changes,
and little changes can make big differences.
Instead of getting the bus to work,
I got a bike, and I cycle to work 7.5 miles.
At first it was difficult getting there, bright red,
but after, say,
three weeks or two weeks, it gets easier,
and you notice it getting easier.
You notice your trousers getting a bit looser,
and it just inspires you to do it even more.
In the time it takes me to get the bus to work,
I can actually cycle there,
and it saves me £5 a day,
and I'm losing weight, so it's great.
For breakfast I don't eat as many pastries or cakes
and stuff like that.
I eat a lot more fresh fruit - bananas, smoothies.
Smoothies are brilliant.
- Morning. You all right? - Yeah. Not bad.
So when I get to work, I get my porridge. I have it all ready.
Milk in, stick it in the microwave for two minutes, get changed.
By the time I get back, it's ready.
Then I have stuff like blueberries or bananas
for the sweetness in there,
or if I don't do that, just a tiny bit of sugar.
I work at Manchester Airport.
I look after passengers requiring assistance going through the airport.
We take from either check-in to the aircraft,
or from the aircraft to arrivals.
- Where are you off to? - Inverness.
That's what I've got on here. I'll just go and get you a chair.
When you're pushing some passenger down to their aircraft,
going from one end of the terminal to the other is quite a distance.
Before I was red, sweating, but now it doesn't bother me.
I just whizz them down there, and I feel fine.
We have an ambulift...
When I get in from work, I put the bike in,
get changed into my jogging gear
and I just go out, have a quick 20-minute jog around the streets.
Whatever the weather, get yourself out there and just go for it.
It's free and it's great fun.
After I lost a bit of weight, a friend said,
"Do you fancy coming kayaking? Now you won't actually sink it."
So I was like, "Yeah, go on then," and I went out and really enjoyed it.
I enjoyed it that much, I went out and bought my own,
and I do it quite a lot now on my days off.
I get out there, and get my packed lunch,
just go, do a few miles, have something to eat and come back.
It's great fun.
Before I used to really enjoy my food,
but it was always the wrong type of foods that I'd enjoy,
like a massive plate of chips,
whereas now it's enjoying the right type of foods,
and I do enjoy my food,
but you can have an even bigger portion now,
because it's not fried, it's fresh veg.
I've got myself a diet plate.
What it does is it tells you exactly what amount of foods to have,
and it directs you exactly to how much you should be having.
If you're eating fresh fruit or fresh vegetables,
you can have a plate full.
Whereas rice and pasta, you'll have a bit.
So it's great for portion sizes.
- So, been busy at work? - Yeah, did a few bookings today.
Depending on work, because I work until half-seven at night
either myself or my girlfriend, Jaimie, cooks.
The changes haven't been difficult. She's been losing weight.
So from me doing it,
she's now exercising more, walking to work and stuff like that,
so it's great the two of us are doing it together.
I didn't want
to have a heart attack or a stroke,
and end up not being able to look to the future,
but now I actually feel excited for the future,
and I can't wait to see what it holds for me,
or what it will bring,
so, yeah, bring it on, that's what I say.
I was a dead man walking.
The time has come for me to take action.
I was 17st 2lb,
and now I'm 12 stone,
and I feel absolutely brilliant.
Now I actually feel excited for the future.
You're told that you have a disease
that's going to be with you for the rest of your life.
It was an absolute shock.
I love my life now.
There's a future, and I'm going to live it.