Cardiff Man Loses 6.5 Stone & Beats £3K Cocaine Habit with Walking & Fasting

A Cardiff man who once received cocaine deliveries thrown over his garden fence has turned his life around, losing 6.5 stone and conquering a £3,000-a-month addiction through a combination of fasting and daily exercise. Paul Fish, 47, a sports massage therapist, is now dedicated to helping others overcome similar struggles.

Fish’s descent into addiction began during the 2007 financial crash, when mounting debts created immense pressure. “I was struggling with drink due to the pressure of the payments,” he said, according to reports. The situation spiralled as his financial woes worsened and a relationship breakdown led to binge eating alongside excessive drinking and cocaine leverage. A subsequent move to South Africa and another relationship ending in 2016 saw him return to his mother’s home, feeling lost and resorting to drugs.

At his lowest point, Fish was consuming up to ten meals a day while spending approximately £700 per week on cocaine. A dealer was regularly supplying him with two grams of the drug each morning, delivered directly to his property. “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,” he recounted. He similarly described relying on his partner at the time to purchase snacks like crisps, chocolate, and soda.

A turning point came in 2021 when he was denied wisdom tooth surgery due to his high body mass index (BMI) of 22.5 stone. This prompted him to begin walking, initially completing a 150km charity walk for Great Ormond Street Hospital. However, despite the increased physical activity, he continued to struggle with drug use and poor eating habits, limiting his progress to a loss of three stone over four years.

Discovering fasting techniques on YouTube proved pivotal. Fish now delays eating until 2pm, or sometimes 4pm, and focuses on a diet rich in salmon, avocado, Greek yogurt, chicken, and steak. He drastically reduced his carbohydrate intake, consuming less than 40g from Monday to Saturday, with a “carb refeed” on Sundays. He also incorporated weightlifting into his routine, training six days a week, and takes supplements including collagen, magnesium, and ashwagandha.

On October 31, 2025, Fish experienced what he described as a “spiritual awakening,” after which he ceased using cocaine. “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,” he stated.

Since then, he has lost a further three stone, bringing his weight down to 15 stone eight. Fish has channeled his recovery into helping others, establishing a walking group in Cardiff called the Monday Reset Project and documenting his journey on TikTok under the handle @paulfish.ckd. Welsh boxer Joe Cordina attended one of his walking events in March, and the next event, scheduled for March 29, is expected to draw over 100 participants.