Paul Fish, 47, from Cardiff, kicked his £3k-a-month cocaine habit and lost 6.5 stone by walking 12,000 steps daily and fasting
A man who battled a £3,000-a-month cocaine addiction and would binge eat up to 10 times a day has conquered his drug dependency and lost 6.5 stone through fasting and walking 12,000 steps each day. Paul Fish, 47, struggled with binge eating and substance abuse after accumulating £100,000 in debt during the financial crash.
At his lowest, the sports massage therapist, from Cardiff weighed 22.5 stone and wore size XXXL clothing, binging 10 times a day while spending £700 on cocaine per week. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here
After he was rejected from a wisdom tooth procedure due to his high BMI, Paul started walking for fitness, but whilst still eating poorly and using drugs, he managed to lose just three stone over four years.
He then discovered fasting on YouTube. Paul now waits until 2pm to eat, trains six days a week, and has swapped crisps and chocolate for salmon and avocados, resulting in him slimming down to 15.8 stone.
After experiencing a “spiritual awakening” on October 31, 2025, Paul finally ended his 25-year drug habit, and has started a walking group in Cardiff to help motivate others.
Paul, who initially shared his story with Talk To The Press, said: “There was a point where a dealer would throw two grams of cocaine in a fag packet over the fence at 9am every day, and I’d just be in the house sniffing all day.
“I’d go out to the pub getting pissed every night as well, and I’d get my partner at the time to go to the Co-op to buy me flakes, and salt and vinegar Squares and full fat coke.
“In 2021, I was denied wisdom tooth surgery because I was 22.5 stone, and doctors said my BMI was too high.
“I put on my trainers the next day and started walking. I did a 150km charity walk for Great Ormond Street, but I was still sniffing cocaine and eating crap, so I wasn’t getting anywhere.
“I started fasting and now I don’t eat until 2pm, sometimes 4pm. I eat things like avocado, salmon, chicken, it’s changed my life.
“Then on October 31st 2025, I had a spiritual awakening, and I haven’t touched cocaine since.
“Fixing my food was the final piece of the jigsaw, my mental health has improved so much, because I’m giving my body what it wants.
“I feel like I’ve been released from prison, I’ve got so much more energy. I’m now on a mission to help other people.”
Paul initially began battling addiction during the 2007 financial crisis, when he found himself drowning in debt which he couldn’t manage on his modest salary as a car salesman.
“I was struggling with drink due to the pressure of the payments,” he said.
As his financial troubles continued to grow, Paul separated from his partner, which resulted in him comfort eating whilst also drinking excessively and using cocaine.
He moved to South Africa with a new partner, but when that relationship ended in 2016, he found himself back at his mum’s small bungalow.
“I felt like a spare part. I would just end up going to the pub and sniffing coke.”
At his lowest point, Paul would arrange for a dealer to throw two grams of cocaine over his garden fence each morning, setting him back approximately £100 a day.
He would then spend the entire day indoors “sniffing”, and binge eating on crisps and chocolate.
He eventually lost his job in car sales due to his drug habit, prompting him to retrain as a sports massage therapist.
When he was refused wisdom tooth surgery, Paul was launched into action, and the next day he put his trainers on and began walking 12,000 steps a day.
He set up an Instagram account for fellow male walkers in his area, and walked 150km in 14 days to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
However, despite his new passion for exercise, Paul was still using cocaine and eating poorly, meaning he was “getting nowhere”.
Between 2021 and 2025, Paul lost just over three stone, bringing him from 22.5 stone down to 18 stone 10. He then started watching videos on nutrition on YouTube, and decided to experiment with fasting.
Having previously indulged in Gregg’s chicken and mayo sandwiches and crisps for lunch, eating up to 10 times a day, he now eats less than 40g of carbohydrates from Monday to Saturday, and does a “carb refeed” on Sunday, where he eats 450g.
Paul eats nothing until 2pm or sometimes as late as 4pm each day, and maintains an exceptionally healthy diet of salmon, avocado, Greek yoghurt, chicken and steak. He also lifts weights six times a week, and takes a range of supplements, including collagen, magnesium and ashwagandha.
He explained: “I’d been to Cocaine Anonymous for years, I’d been through counselling, and lost relationships and nothing worked, but after my spiritual awakening, I haven’t thought about using cocaine once.”
Since Paul’s “spiritual awakening”, he has lost a further three stone, bringing him down to 15 stone eight.
Eager to help others, Paul has now set up a walking group in Cardiff called the Monday Reset Project, as well as sharing his journey on his TikTok channel @paulfish.ckd.
Welsh boxer Joe Cordina attended his first walking event earlier in March and he is now expecting over 100 attendees at his next event, on March 29.
Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here.
We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice
You must be logged in to post a comment Login