Crippled by an anxiety that made him feel physically sick at the thought of going outside, 44-stone Conor Steptoe had not left the house for six years.
Battling a food addiction, at his worst he would consume up to 5,000 calories a day at home in Margate.
Conor Steptoe, 24, from Margate weighed 44st 8lb before he started his weight-loss journey
He admits: “I would eat whatever I could whenever I wanted if I was hungry. I’d have takeaways or home-cooked meals and would find it hard to stop eating.”
But then a family tragedy made him question everything.
It made Conor realise that at the age of 24, his weight had become a matter of life and death.
He is now embarking on a huge challenge, to walk a million steps in three months – no mean feat for someone who once struggled to move from the living room to the kitchen.
With the support of his mum and the Man V Fat football group, he is already down to 41 stone while raising hundreds of pounds for mental health charity Mind.
Conor aged 10. His mum, Susie, says he used to be very active when he was younger
It is a particularly brave effort for someone who for years has struggled with his self-esteem, constantly feeling judged for his size.
But he has now decided to push through the mental barriers.
Conor says even though his old diet included healthy food like fruit and vegetables, it was the sheer amount he ate that led to the weight gain.
“I never used to count calories until I started this journey,” he says.
“I’m hoping to get to between 18-20 stone by the end of the journey, and I was given the challenge of reducing my calories to no more than 1,800 a day, which is quite difficult for someone like me who has an obsession and addiction to food.
Conor was given a certificate by his Man V Fat coach, Connah Mount, for losing 5% of his body weight.
“I have good days when I eat below my target, but some days, I reach the max and still feel like I could eat more.
“I’d heard about Man V Fat before and then saw it online. It’s really given me discipline, and by playing football once a week, I have a community of like-minded people who all want to lose weight.”
A significant factor in deciding to fundraise for Mind and begin his weight loss journey was the death of his cousin, who took his own life in May last year.
Conor’s mum, Susie, credits the shock of the tragedy with being a real turning point in her son’s mindset, which changed to wanting to “do something with his life.”
The 46-year-old says: “When his cousin died, it was so unexpected, and the ripples it caused were unreal.
Conor Steptoe, from Margate, and mum Susie who cannot believe the change she’s seen in her son
“Conor’s always struggled with his weight, but it got to the point where it was basically life or death, and I think when he saw his cousin, who was only a few months older than him, lose his life, it sort of shocked him.
“He gave him that strength to push past the barriers he faced, not to care what people thought of him. He wanted to be healthy, to lose weight and do something with his life. It’s amazed me how he’s taken to it.
“Conor had never left the house since 2018, and yesterday, he came home after managing 15 minutes on the football field. It’s just phenomenal.
“And when the million steps challenge was suggested, I was taken aback, but Conor really wanted to do it. It really made me realise how much he has changed as a person.”
Sixteen people joined the Walk a Mile with Conor event on the Thanet coast, with group ending up walking two miles
Ms Steptoe hopes her son can become an advocate for others looking to lose weight as he continues his journey.
Conor, a former pupil of Portal House, a special school in St-Margaret’s-at-Cliffe, near Dover, adds: “I had very low self-esteem and severe anxiety, and it made me feel physically sick whenever I would try to go out the front door – I would also feel increasingly worried that people would judge my size.
“After losing my cousin, I realised life is short and fragile, and it showed me that I needed to face my anxieties and push through the fears to live my life.
“If I did nothing, I knew I would not have long to live as my weight was at a critical level and had a massive impact on my physical and mental health.
“So, despite feeling physically sick when I began going out I knew it was the time to do something, and I felt that my cousin had given me the strength to overcome the barriers I put up to keep myself housebound.
Conor Steptoe after receiving his certificate for losing 5% of his body weight with Man V Fat Margate
“I still feel anxious and sick, but I will continue to push through as I know that is what he would have wanted to see me do.”
The one million steps challenge – which equates to about 11,000 a day – began on December 23, and already Conor has managed more than 169,000 steps, raising £540 for Mind in the process.
Events such as Walk a Mile with Conor have seen 16 people take a stroll from Westgate Bay Cafe in Westgate-on-Sea toward Margate and back in what ended as a two-mile journey.
His mum has been overwhelmed by the amount already donated.
Susie says: “It’s absolutely amazing. I know everyone’s struggling financially across the county, but the amount that’s been donated has blown my mind, it’s unreal.”
Conor is planning more events in the future alongside his challenge, including a two-mile walk on January 19.