Tom Capon was 18 stone and hated his life – but a simple change transformed his health and happinessTom Capon Affiliates Lead, South and Wales, Jessica Brunt and Beth Mahoney Shopping Writer
13:43, 06 Oct 2025Updated 13:45, 06 Oct 2025
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“I still treat myself to a kebab or Wingstop. But for the rest of the week, I am committed”(Image: Tom Capon)
As Tom Capon stepped into his thirties, he felt his existence was spiralling downwards.
The energy of his twenties seemed like a distant dream – just climbing the staircase felt like an enormous feat, nipping to the local shop required mental fortitude, and most troublingly, he could feel his passion for living gradually fading.
Just twelve months earlier, Tom had weighed in at 115kg (18 stone, 1lb). Beyond the bodily hurdles that came with being clinically overweight, he found that his psychological health also took a catastrophic blow.
Previously a chap who could readily strike up conversation with anyone anywhere, he began losing confidence and retreating to secluded areas, suffering from anxiety and depression, reports Wales Online.
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Tom felt the most agonising element was growing short-tempered with loved ones, snapping at them more frequently as fatigue and self-loathing started to overshadow everything dear to him.
Tom said: “My clothes would stick to my stomach and I found myself constantly pulling at my top, hoping no one would notice. But a year ago, I hit rock bottom. I was fed up with feeling inadequate.”
Transformation was vital, and with help from an app, he succeeded in accomplishing precisely that. Tom explained: “I managed to lose four stone within a year, bringing my weight down to 89.3kg (14 stone). After thorough research, I decided to give the current diet trend a go: intermittent fasting.”
Before and after using the Simple app to achieve a four stone weight loss(Image: Tom Capon)
This approach includes an ‘eating window’, typically consisting of 16 hours of fasting combined with eight hours for eating, although this can be adapted to suit personal schedules, with ratios ranging from 14:10 to 12:12. Some people, including the late Dr Michael Mosley, also champion the 5:2 method, which involves restricting calorie intake to 500 calories on two non-consecutive days.
As a self-confessed food lover, Tom said: “The idea of fasting seemed as appealing as cutting out my own tongue. However, there are several tools that can help, one of which is the Simple app, which I have tested before.”
The app, powered by AI assistant Avo, sends alerts about fasting windows and provides advice on fasting methods, dietary guidance and extra support. “This was particularly helpful for me, a man whose memory is more sieve than pint glass.
“I also made sure to eat in a calorie deficit – not an extreme one, and it shouldn’t be for anyone planning their own weight loss journey. According to NHS guidelines, the recommended daily calorie intake for the average person is 2,500 calories for men and 2,000 for women.”
Many Simple App users have shared their results(Image: Simple)
To lose weight, a person needs to eat fewer calories than they burn, allowing the body to use stored fat for energy instead of food consumed.
To work out the right calorie reduction, they can calculate their Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) using an online tool, such as the calculator on Diabetes.co.uk. BMR refers to the number of calories your body needs just to function whilst at rest, excluding physical activity.
People who lead an active lifestyle will need to add several hundred extra calories on top of this figure. Tom also recommends using a smartwatch, such as the FitBit Versa 4, to help track energy expenditure. However, Simple takes users through this process and calculates how much you should eat through their questionnaire.
Tom’s result was 2,400 calories per day to lose 1-2lbs weekly, which represents healthy weight loss for someone of his build. Tom said: “Next, you need to monitor your daily calorie intake. This was the first of two significant changes that helped me shed four stone in a year at a healthy pace. I know what you’re thinking – who can be bothered?”.
A couple before and after weight loss using Simple(Image: Simple)
“That’s exactly what I thought, especially when using a manual tracker like MyFitnessPal. While the app is free, it doesn’t have a comprehensive food database, but the barcode scanner does alleviate some of the frustration.”
Simple also offers a solution – Avo, an AI assistant that can analyse a photograph of a meal, identify the ingredients and provide a nutritional assessment. Tom added: “I’d love to tell you that you can eat whatever you want as long as you fast, but if you’re after health benefits in addition to aesthetic changes, you’ll need to ensure proper nutrition.
“Avo occasionally gets the sizes or products in the photo wrong – AIs, a human invention, are fallible like us too – but you can easily make corrections. To simplify my life, I buy chicken breasts in bulk for the week and absolutely smother them in seasoning.
“By the time I pop one into the air fryer, it’s been marinating long enough to be absolutely scrumptious. (Aldi pre-mixed seasoning is 89p per pot, you’re welcome). I also prepare dishes like Bolognese or chilli in large batches so I always have something ready.”
Nevertheless, it wasn’t all plain chicken, as Tom confessed he could still enjoy takeaways on a weekly basis. He said: “I still enjoyed pizza, I still treated myself.”
Tom went on: “I limit myself to one major indulgence a week but the secret is, as long as you stay under your calorie limit, you can eat whatever you fancy and still lose weight. I couldn’t believe it either.
“For me, it was about maintaining consistency throughout the week, rather than striving for perfection. If you overindulge one day, don’t fret, just get back on track the next day – don’t feel guilty, we’re all human and food is delightful.”
Tom’s second significant transformation involved ensuring he achieved a minimum of 10,000 steps each day. He increased his gym visits to four sessions per week and introduced swimming twice weekly, a substantial upgrade from his former habit of working out merely three times each week.
For anyone seeking exercise inspiration, couch to 5k programmes are readily available via free apps such as BBC Sounds, as well as Nike Run Club. Nike’s app has secured an outstanding 4.8-star rating out of five on the Apple App Store. Numerous alternative apps exist, including Hevy, which enables users to track their workouts – it’s free with optional paid extras.
For nutrition tracking, MyFitnessPal’s standard version is complimentary, though premium options come at a cost.
Reflecting on his journey, Tom said: “It’s hard to emphasise how much achieving my step goal has transformed my life – the energy boost came from this, not the gym, and it also meant I had the energy to start swimming every week. It’s now my favourite activity of the week. A year later, I’m healthier and much happier. Nothing feels like too much effort – some days, I feel like I could bench press the sun.”
He inspires others by saying: “Not every day will be perfect because no one is. Whenever you stumble, pick yourself up and start again, it’s the only way to progress towards a healthier and happier life. I still enjoy a night out drinking once a week (I’m from Essex, so trust me when I say… I go out drinking), and I still treat myself to a kebab or Wingstop. But for the rest of the week, I am committed.
“That’s how to lose weight and keep it off. I hope others can achieve their goals too.”
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