A MUCKHART man who has gone through an incredible transformation to shed 12 stone in a year is currently on a mammoth charity cycle challenge.

Iain Whyte proved it is never too late to make a change after he became fed up with his weight at the age of 55.

He weighed in at 26.5stone around 12 months ago, but a change in diet and abstinence from alcohol meant he could get rid of the extra pounds at a steady pace.

Iain, now 56, has always been a keen cyclist and he can now tackle the 980 miles between Land's End and John o' Groats for the Prince's Trust with renewed vigour and confidence.

The father-of-three said: "I was fed up with my weight, not being able to do things with my kids.

"I never managed to lose weight in my life, I've been overweight since I was five.

"I had a good try in about 2012, when I lost quite a bit of weight, but I just couldn't [keep it], just seemed to constantly go back on."

Not being able to get clothes to fit, the potential embarrassment if he wouldn't fit into a booth in the restaurant and the "dreaded" seatbelt extension on the aeroplane gave him the final push to try again.

"I did still cycle," he said, "But it was hard and I was just making it harder and harder on myself.

"In June [2018] I decided I was going to stop alcohol for a year because I read an article about how you can change your relationship with alcohol."

By the next month, he realised that if he can make a change with the drink, he could also do it with food and set a target to lose 10 stone in a year.

Cutting out processed food from his diet, eating homemade and low-fat and giving up sugary treats all helped.

Iain also joined a Slimming World group halfway through and eats more chicken and fish – the latter no doubt often procured at his work in the Fresh Fish Place in Alloa.

Now weighing less than he did at the age of 16, he is currently on the cycle ride across the UK, having raised just under £1,500 with hopes more people will visit his page to donate.

"The huge difference is that I changed my mindset and lifestyle", said Iain.

"I feel so good every morning I wake up now, I just don't want to lose that feeling.

"What I certainly realised is there's so many good things to enjoy that, actually, I don't want to have the other stuff."

Visit tinyurl.com/yy9l2tbs to put money towards the cycle ride for the Prince's Trust and tinyurl.com/yxghtbhb to support Iain in collecting for Alzheimer Scotland in memory of his mum and dad.