I'm running the London Marathon, something that seemed impossible not so long ago...

I watched the London Marathon last year weighing 299lbs. To put that into perspective I was 1lb shy of Homer Simpson's weight in the episode "King Size Homer", when he gained 60lb in order to claim disability and work from home. 

I had become a fat Homer, binging on the worst kind of food possible at the wrong time. Chocolate bars and crisps were my snack of choice as I wouldn't ever consider fruit as an option. Pretty much the only difference between myself and Homer Simpson was I had slightly more hair. Slightly. I'd tried different ways to lose weight but didn't really commit to anything as truth be told I had an eating addiction. I had always been fat and didn't realise just how bad my relationship with food had become, as I would lie about what I ate and hide what I'd eaten. I had the incentive to get healthy when my first son was born, but didn't have the right mentality. I thought I didn't have the time to exercise but the truth is I was just too damn lazy. My son would whisper to me a secret he'd seen on Peppa Pig before he'd burst out in laughter - it was adorable, yet completely embarrassing when he'd say "Daddy's big tummy". I wanted to be a role model for my son, I just didn't know how I could change my ways. Ten days after watching the marathon last year my girlfriend, Shal, was pregnant with our second child and Tobias was forever running around the flat, but I always felt too tired to get out of bed. I scrolled through Twitter and something caught my eye. My friend Ali had tweeted to say he had lost 15lb in 7 days and shared the documentary "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead", which chronicles Joe Cross' personal mission to regain his health by only drinking juices made from fresh fruit and vegetables for 60 days. Within 10 minutes I was hooked on the documentary and by the halfway mark I had ordered a juicer from Argos. As soon as the film had finished I took my son to the shops and we brought the £30 juicer home. I bought the cheapest one possible as I wasn't sure just how long this latest fad would last - my girlfriend gave me a week before changing her mind to two weeks. 

I lasted 96 days and lost well over 80lbs since April 30th 2013. I couldn't recommend anything more as I firmly believe it saved my life and would urge anyone to checkout RebootWithJoe.com if you too want to get healthy. This has been a complete lifestyle change for me. I will continue to fight my food addiction and am determined to keep getting healthier.

The 2014 London Marathon is the perfect way to mark my one year healthiversary. Throughout the year I have not only found a better life for myself but inspired others to do the same thing and will continue to do so. The charity I am running for is Treloar's. No, seriously! I'm not looking to make a bit of money on the side here, anyone that knows me will know that nothing is more important to me than family and I chose to support Treloar's because I'm proud to share my name with such a noble cause. They provide education, care, therapy, medical support and independence training to young people with severe physical disabilities from all over the UK and overseas. “Our long-term goal is to create a world where physically disabled young people learn to take control of their lives and dare to dream.”They also need to fundraise £1.5 million a year to keep Treloar's at the forefront of education and services for physically disabled people. Through Virgin Money Giving, you can sponsor me and donations will be quickly processed and passed to my charity. Virgin Money Giving is not a profit organisation and they will claim gift aid on a charity's behalf if the donor is eligible.

I have been incredibly touched by all the support and encouragement from everyone, from when I was juicing to my marathon training. I doubt I could've achieved this without your support and really appreciate  any donations you're able to make.So please donate and help make a difference.Thank you.