Luke Pullen, 37, was left feeling “humiliated” when he couldn’t ride Thorpe Park’s Colossus as a teenager
A South West London dad who was told he couldn’t ride a rollercoaster due to his size a teenager is set to ride one for the first time in 20 years, having shed more than five stone in just 13 weeks.
Luke Pullen, 37, had been eagerly anticipating riding Colossus at Thorpe Park when he was a teenager, but was asked to disembark after staff couldn’t secure the restraint owing to his size, leaving him feeling utterly “humiliated”.
Following the incident, the father-of-two said that his relationship with food turned “toxic”, and he ballooned to 34st and 6lbs (220kg) at his heaviest, at the age of 32 in 2020.
This year, Luke “finally committed” to slimming down and has already remarkably shed around a quarter of his body weight in just three months, now tipping the scales at 26st and 7lbs (170kg). He reveals he has spent his entire life anxious about fitting into seats, such as those on aeroplanes, which has caused him to miss significant occasions including family weddings.
Now, the pub general manager from New Malden, London, is planning to ride a rollercoaster for the very first time with his children Ronnie, 11, and Alfie, 9, in Los Angeles, California, USA, for the first time in two decades.
Luke said: “I’d never been embarrassed about my weight until that day I was kicked off the rollercoaster ride. Two members of staff were pushing down on the restraint while people in the queue were making comments. Eventually they lifted everyone’s restraints so I could get off. I had to walk past all my friends and family waiting at the exit.”
He added: “Looking back, I think that experience actually made my relationship with food even worse. For the first time in over 20 years, I’ll be able to go on those rides with my children instead of watching from the sidelines.”
Luke has been employed in hospitality for more than 16 years and he explains the pressures of the industry made it “very easy to eat and drink poorly”.
The father acknowledges the continuous availability of food and extended shifts meant he formed unhealthy patterns resulting in significant weight gain. However, it was during the Covid pandemic that his weight escalated dramatically, reaching approximately 34 stone at its highest.
He explained: “As Covid was starting to end and some normality had resumed, I finally bought some suitable scales and weighed 32st (203.5kg), this scared me to death. I couldn’t walk up the stairs without stopping or do simple things like mowing the lawn. I was worried I wouldn’t even be able to do my job properly.”
Luke revealed that considering whether he would “fit somewhere” was “constantly” occupying his thoughts, preventing him from ever being able to “relax”. Air travel became his greatest source of dread, with him disclosing he would invest hours investigating seat dimensions, seatbelt lengths and plane configurations before each journey, frequently taking drastic measures to make sure he had enough space.
He admitted: “I’ve booked multiple plane tickets just so nobody would sit next to me. I even flew to Dublin first before travelling on to Las Vegas because I could afford Business Class from there, but not from London. Even something as simple as wondering whether the tray table would come down was enough to make me panic.”
This anxiety about fitting into spaces also led to him missing important family occasions. He explained: “I skipped my cousin’s wedding because I didn’t have clothes that fit and didn’t want people to see how big I’d become.”
Theme parks – once a source of joy until the Thorpe Park incident – became particularly challenging as his children got older. He recalled: “I’ve had to stand and watch while my wife takes the boys on rides because I was worried I wouldn’t fit. That’s been really hard.”
Another distressing moment occurred during a trip to Las Vegas, USA, when Luke jokingly stepped onto scales outside the famous Heart Attack Grill. After weighing in above the restaurant’s 350lb threshold, he was called onto a stage in front of the entire restaurant as customers applauded.
Following years of unsuccessful diets and fitness attempts, Luke enrolled in Numan’s weight-loss programme for structure and support, which included weight loss medication and access to advice from medical experts.
Since beginning in March 2026 he has lost 33kg in 13 weeks, which he describes as having “transformed” both his physical and mental wellbeing. He explained: “I’ve gone from struggling to walk to hitting 15,000 steps a day and running again. The pain in my joints has gone and I feel stronger and happier than ever. Everything is a yes now. Before, I’d make excuses to avoid situations where I’d feel uncomfortable. Now I want to do everything with my kids.”
This summer, Luke is set to travel to Los Angeles, California, with his wife Sophie, 33, and their two children, where he intends to do something he hasn’t managed in over two decades – ride the rollercoasters with his sons.
He revealed: “I’ve watched every ‘fat testing’ video on YouTube to make sure I’ll fit, and I know I will. We’re also even flying Economy. A year ago, I never thought I’d say that. My life now is about making memories instead of avoiding situations – I feel like I’ve got my future back.”
Luke’s weight loss advice is to “find your reason” and use it as “fuel” to achieve your goals.
Luke’s diet before and after
- Breakfast before: Café twice a week for a big cooked breakfast or a carvery unlimited breakfast. Otherwise, typically a pastry and white mocha delivered from Starbucks.
- Breakfast now: Protein yoghurt with fruit and black decaf coffee.
- Lunch before: “Running a pub and restaurant, I would always be snacking on food from the kitchen and most days I would grab a meal deal from a local shop that would always be a BLT sandwich, McCoys crisps and a sugary soda.”
- Lunch now: “My favourite lunch at the moment is tuna or salmon on one slice of sourdough toast with two boiled eggs and some cracked black pepper.”
- Dinner before: “Easily five takeaways a week and if I was eating in I always had the ability to turn a basic meal such as fajitas into a calorie mountain. Always adding cheese, sauces and breads is how I got up to consuming 4,500+ calories daily.”
- Dinner now: “Every dinner starts with protein and greens, usually chicken breast and broccoli. I find it hard to overeat these items and consuming less overall food makes me really think about what I’m putting into my body to ensure I get the nutrients it needs.”
- Drinks before: “I was drinking around 1,500 calories a day in Coca-Cola and milky/sugary coffees which, when I look back, I feel relieved I’m still alive and have my own teeth! The sugary drinks put me into a vicious cycle of insulin spikes that kept me going back for more.”
- Drinks now: “Always black coffee and a Starbucks every two weeks as a treat. I have decaf after midday and always drink three litres of water a day and at least a glass with every meal.”
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