Jack Ako has spoken out about shedding 420 pounds and rebuilding his life as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder.
Ako, 29, from Wakefield, UK, now weighs roughly 231 pounds after spending four years dismantling a body that once topped 658 pounds. The transformation included a staggering 210-pound drop in a single year, a pace he achieved by overhauling both his nutrition and his relationship with movement.
“I was embarrassed by my size, and at times I didn’t know how much longer I had to live,” he said. “I was told by doctors that there was a five-year waiting lists for help, but to be honest I didn’t think I would survive that long.”
Ako had been consuming approximately 10,000 calories daily while working a sedentary job running a betting shop. His routine involved toast at home, two breakfast sandwiches from Greggs before reaching the office, a packed lunch supplemented by fast food or a meal deal, and finally pizza or KFC before returning home for his evening meal.
“I would then be sat behind a computer all day watching TV or gambling – it wasn’t a good environment,” he explained. “I was eating around 10,000 calories a day easily while doing minimal exercise.”
By age 25, Ako had reached 46.8 stone, and concern from family and friends mounted. After learning of extensive NHS delays, he traveled to Turkey in April 2022 for private gastric band surgery. The procedure initially reduced his food intake without immediately changing what he ate.
By 2024, eighteen months post-surgery, he had fallen to 27 stone. “I thought to myself I have come this far, lets see how far I can take it,” he said. “I started researching nutrition and the gym and how I could become healthy for myself.”
Ako described himself as always having been a “big lad” and “always the biggest kid in school,” but the weight accelerated after he turned 18 and stopped being active. The desk job compounded the decline.
His capabilities have shifted dramatically alongside his physique. “I’ve gone from not being able to walk up stairs to running 5kms easily and lifting heavy weights,” he said.
Ako credited his wife with supporting his efforts, particularly in preparing his meals. He now works professionally as a personal trainer and has entered bodybuilding competition, framing his experience as a message for others struggling with obesity.
“I’m living proof that no matter how big you are, you can become the person you want to be,” he said.
The emotional weight of the decade spent at his heaviest still surfaces. “Sometimes I feel annoyed that I have wasted 10 years of my life being that size,” he admitted. “But to get into shape, this isn’t a secret exercise or diet – it is about winning each day. It is about being consistent and being there for yourself.”
Ako’s decision to pursue surgery came after confronting his reflection and recognizing the health risks his body carried. The gastric band served as the initial mechanism for change, though he emphasized that sustained effort and self-education drove the results that followed.