From flab to fit.

Kiran Bassan once weighed over 266 pounds. He told Birmingham Live that eating junk food at university first caused the crisis. He’d think nothing of downing a six-pack of doughnuts any time of day or night.

“I didn’t like what was staring back at me when I looked in the mirror. I’d avoid looking at myself. I had a lack of self-confidence and would avoid talking to the opposite sex. I also felt tired all the time.”

Now a physiotherapist, Kiran said he did make several unsuccessful attempts to slim down.

“At my heaviest I was 19 stone. When I came back home to live with my mum in Birmingham, she would make sure I had healthy meals, but it was all the snacks in between that didn’t help.”

Eventually, Kiran knew he needed a desperate measure.

“I found a bodybuilding coach called Scott Walay on Instagram and messaged him for help. At that point I just wanted to lose weight. But he said he could help me sort out my diet and exercise. After a few weeks on his plan, I went along to see him in a competition. I watched him on stage and was in awe of him.”

Kiran had already dropped junk food and cut out snacks from his diet. But attending the contest inspired him to take it to the next level.

“I thought to myself that is what I want to do, I want to achieve what he has. So afterwards, I asked if he thought it was possible and he said it was. I stuck to it religiously and in around September last year, Scott told me I was ready for my first competition. I couldn’t believe it and was really excited to finally be at that stage.”

On April 8, Kiran took third at the Saxon Classic Bodybuilding Competition, which was held at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre.

“It was the most incredible feeling when I was on stage. I had the biggest smile on my face and I was just concentrating on impressing the judges. I could hear everyone just screaming my name – it was mad.”

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