Hitting the road has helped Mark Simpson find his mojo in 2026 – and it’s the start of something positive for the north easterner.
Mark has shifted over 12 stone since realising he needed to improve his health at the end of 2024 and, after getting the running bug, is set to tackle the Great North Run this weekend.
Having documented his weight loss journey on Instagram, Mark is hoping his story will inspire others and we caught up with him this week to find out more.
What was it that made you want to start tackling your weight in the first place?
I had hit a real low towards the end of 2024 where I’d reached a point where I was just sick of myself. I had tried so many different things to try and get a foothold with my weight but nothing seemed to stick, and although I was projecting happiness and maintaining a bubbly personality, it was really affecting me underneath.
I was eating too much, drinking too much and it was only leading to one place. I decided I had to give myself one more chance so on New Year’s Eve 2024 I made a promise to myself to try again to do something about it.
Having reached that stage, how did you approach those early weeks and gaining the momentum you needed?
Determination gave me a leg-up at the start of 2025 and I just tried to stay focused and consistent with my diet. I didn’t really do anything other than concentrate on trying to maintain a calorie deficit. There was no fancy eating plan or exercise regime – I was 25 stone so I knew I needed to get some weight off to then gradually build up my activity.
You’ve utilised GLP1s as part of your weight loss. How have they fitted into your weight loss approach?
In all honesty, they were a game-changer. It wasn’t something that was in my mind when I started my journey but I took the plunge in the second week of the New Year after seeing a mate have some astonishing results.
I would say that within about two weeks of starting on the medication, I knew it was going to work for me. It took away my compulsion to have a beer, which was a big thing, and it helped me finally stay in a calorie deficit for more than a few days.
It gave me the platform to make the changes that I needed to in my lifestyle and probably helped save my life.
What are the most tangible benefits you’ve felt from losing this amount of weight?
Happiness. Confidence. Hope. They all returned. I have always tried to come across as a confident, positive person – I think that’s how most people who know me would describe me but it was a front. Now I feel so much more content.
I can’t tell you how much a mental weight it’s lifted as well because I no longer spend every waking moment obsessing about my weight.
I don’t spend every conversation wondering if the other person is judging me about my weight. I have such a sense of freedom that I am still trying to get used to really!
How much have you enjoyed the running and additional exercise you’ve been able to take part in?
Running has become massively important to me. I knew when I started my weight loss journey that I wanted to get into running if I could. I was always jealous watching people if I drove past and I never thought I would be able to get back into it.
But I started the Couch to 5k and that was the gateway to gradually step up my exercise. I think it’s important to build slowly because I didn’t want to demotivate myself or get sickened if I couldn’t run 5km immediately.
Now running is my safety net, a core part of ensuring I never go back to where I was.
Having reached this position, what’s your game plan for keeping the weight off in the coming months and years to come?
Running definitely plays a key role in that. The benefits I’ve had from running are too many to count.
It actually helps me stay healthy on days when I’m not even running because if I know I have to run the next day, I will try to focus more on my diet and prepare well for that run. I hope to keep on entering running events too.
The Great North Run is being ticked off next weekend, I am also doing the Manchester Half Marathon in October. I’ve got a place in my first marathon in Manchester in April too – which is crazy really when I think back to where I was 18 months ago.
I just need to keep consistent with my running and just keep focused on my diet and lifestyle – but remembering what it felt like to be 25 stone is at the heart of my determination to never go back.
