Paul Fish decided he had to change when he was denied a wisdom tooth operation as his BMI was too high
19:06, 15 Mar 2026
(Image: Paul Fish)
For Paul Fish, a typical day used to mean that before 9am every morning he’d first take cocaine, then he would drink all day. His partner would then go to the local shop and get him a packet of four Flakes, a six pack of salt and vinegar Squares, two two litre bottles of coke, a big bag of Haribos and more sweets.
He struggled with drug addiction as well as unhealthy eating habits, and over 20 years he says he had tried everything. He knew what he was doing was “killing” him.
But now, he is alcohol and drug free, his days couldn’t look more different, and he puts it all down to a “spiritual” moment which changed his life forever.
In 2008, his relationship with Carla, his son Josh’s mother, broke down. He had been using drugs and pressures after the financial crash in 2007 and interest rates increasing, made it worse. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here
After the split Paul, 47, moved around, first going to South Africa and then Essex near his family. He said: “I couldn’t find my safe place, I was always trying to find where I actually belong.
Moving back to Cardiff, Paul visited the hospital in 2021 to have his wisdom teeth removed after experiencing intense pain. However, weighing 22st 5lbs, the doctor denied him surgery because his BMI was too high.
(Image: Paul Fish)
“I knew it was really bad…the next day I put my trainers on and started walking.”
Setting up social media accounts to document his journey Paul was determined to lose weight but found it difficult as he was still using cocaine and drinking heavily on the weekends. Another big challenge for him was maintaining a healthy diet.
From 2021 until 2025, Paul had lost around three stones dropping to 18st 10lbs in October last year.
Posting on his TikTok account, paulfish.ckd he said: “I used to have two grams of sniff (cocaine) in a fag packet thrown over my fence before 9am in the morning and then just drink all day. My partner at the time would go to the Co-op and she’d get me a packet of four Flakes, a big massive six pack of salt and vinegar Squares, two two litre bottles of coke, big bag of Haribos and always the Strawbs as well. But now my mornings are a lot different, by that time now I would have planned my day, walked on my way to clients or to the gym.”
However, on October 31, 2025, Paul says woke up and had a “spiritual” experience which ended all that.
He said: “I promise you it was spiritual. I woke up one morning and this is after years of going to Cocaine Anonymous, going to counselling over the years. I’ve tried it all. I don’t know what it was. I just woke one day and thought ‘that’s it I’m done.’
“And I just did it.”
(Image: Paul Fish)
He followed online video creators and saw the keto diet and Paul decided to try the cyclic ketogenic diet (CKD). It sees people rotate between a strict high-fat, low-carb ketogenic meal plan and higher carb intake.
He has also committed to walking 12,000 steps a day, he lifts weights six days a week, fasts until 4pm, eats protein based low carb diet six days a week and has a “carb refeed” each Sunday.
Since last October he has lost another three stones and Paul has also stopped taking drugs and drinking alcohol.
He says he has started to feel “a sense of joy again” after being “so depleted” from his drug and alcohol abuse and eating so much sugar.
“I was literally just killing myself and I didn’t know how to get out of it,” he said.
Changing his lifestyle has allowed him to maintain a positive relationship with his now 21-year-old son who he wants to make proud. “All I want to do now is make something of my life and to make my son proud. I do everything for him.”
He is also now “best mates” with his son’s mum.
Paul’s friend Kayleigh encouraged him to set up social media pages and not only do thousands interact with his posts, his Facebook page, the Monday Reset Project, is a helping others with a community walk.
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