A BEWSEY gym has been hailed as 'transforming' a Chapelford man's life around following his dramatic weight loss.

Phil Gallanders, who is a member of CrossFit Warrington, based on Hoyle Street, joined the gym last May in a bid to lose weight and get fit.

But the remarkable achievements that have followed in the short space of time could not have been predicted, even by Phil himself, now weighing 117kg.

The 27-year-old has lost around 35kg and improved his strength substantially since joining but he remains adamant that the fitness journey is only beginning.

"The key to my transformation has definitely been joining CrossFit Warrington," he said.

"Along with providing a constantly varied set of workouts, I have learned a lot about the importance of nutrition from the coaches and other members.

"I am proud, and to some extent, relieved that I have found a way to work on being as healthy as I can.

"I've always been overweight and tried to lose weight in the past but I always found that I would quickly get bored of doing the same workouts or I would get frustrated because I felt that I wasn't getting the results that I had been working for.

"I use cheat days to help keep myself motivated because it is important to find a balance."

Phil, who will be running the Manchester 10k in May to celebrate his year at the gym and to raise funds for the Costa Foundation, admits fitness has become one of the best aspects of his life.

"I never thought I would enjoy exercise as much as I am at the moment," he added.

"The sense of achievement after completing the workouts is exhilarating.

"It's important to find an exercise regime that is fun and constantly challenging - for that reason, I would strongly recommend coming to one of the free taster classes at Crossfit Warrington and giving it a go."