There seems to be a point at which a mirror ceases to be something you look at and instead becomes something you completely avoid. That moment came for Jack Ako, a 25-year-old from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, when the reflection revealed a man who weighed 47 stone, or almost 300 kilograms, and had gotten so big that he could no longer handle the physical demands of his railroad job. He changed careers and became a bookmaker. Less movement. Easier to conceal. And that was effective for a while.
It’s difficult not to imagine the scene: a young man eating in silence behind a betting counter, out of sight, while working at a job that requires prolonged immobility. The secret eating, the way some foods provided something akin to relief, and the dopamine rush that momentarily muted what he refers to as “food noise” are all things that Ako has personally described. He stated that different people have different vices. It just so happened to be food. Because it’s honest in a way that most weight-loss stories aren’t, that framing merits consideration. He wasn’t just making poor decisions. There was a deeper psychological undertone.
Growing up, Ako was told he was simply large in stature. The “big lad” moniker followed him from childhood into his rugby-playing adolescence, when eating large and gaining weight was practically expected. Both of his parents are over six feet tall. His attitude remained the same even after he stopped playing. Pizza, burgers, KFC, crisps, chocolate, and other foods continued to provide calories, totaling about 10,000 per day without, as he puts it, even realizing it. That figure is astounding. During intense training blocks, it is nearly twice as much as what the majority of competitive endurance athletes consume.
Friends and family were publicly concerned by the age of 25. According to Ako, he detested what he saw when he looked in the mirror. He traveled to Turkey in April 2022 and had gastric band surgery, which limits the stomach’s capacity and requires portion control in a way that willpower alone frequently cannot, especially for someone with a true food addiction. The next event was not magical. Gym sessions, dietary changes, and weekly tracking of sluggish progress were all part of the tedious, unglamorous work.
Observing these changes in public gives the impression that people prefer the striking before and after with little in between. However, Ako actually spent four years living in the interim. According to reports, he lost an astounding 15 stone in the first year alone. He kept losing weight until he reached 16.5 stone, or about 190 kilograms overall. He also had surgery to remove extra skin along the way, which is one of the less talked-about but really challenging physical aspects of losing that much weight.
What’s remarkable about Ako’s current situation is that he went beyond “healthy.” He continued to pursue bodybuilding after most transformation stories come to an end. He now operates his own company as a certified personal trainer and is getting ready to compete at the Pure Elite World Championship bodybuilding competition in High Wycombe this month. It almost seems irrelevant whether he places or not. It is undeniably remarkable that a man who used to weigh close to 300 kg is competing in bodybuilding four years later. He might already be aware of that.
The competition isn’t what Ako appears to be most interested in right now, though. The younger generation is involved. He has talked about how knowledge could have altered his own course, saying that if someone had given him a better understanding of nutrition at a younger age, he might not have been called “the big kid” and given a genetic excuse. He is now attempting to be that person for others as a personal trainer. The idea that the worst part of your life serves as a prerequisite for the work you do next has a subtle purpose.
Whether Ako’s bodybuilding career continues after this initial competition is still unknown. However, as this develops, it seems that the High Wycombe stage appearance isn’t actually the end goal. It’s more akin to proof of concept—proof that the body and mind are more flexible than the labels people give them ever imply, both for him and for anyone who is paying attention.
The large Wakefield boy is on his way to the stage. As it happens, he had a say in who that big boy became.
FAQs
Q1. How much weight did Jack Ako lose in total?
He lost approximately 30 stone (190 kg) over four years.
Q2. What surgery did Jack Ako have to help with his weight loss?
He underwent gastric band surgery in Turkey in April 2022.
Q3. How many calories was Jack Ako consuming at his heaviest?
Around 10,000 calories daily, mostly fast food and snacks.
Q4. What does Jack Ako do for a living now?
He runs his own personal training business in Wakefield.
Q5. What bodybuilding competition is Jack Ako competing in?
The Pure Elite World Championship show in High Wycombe.
