In 2012, Alastair Wilson was in his mid 20s and tipped the scales at 280 pounds. Not only was the Scottish man obese, but his weight was also affecting his mental health. Wilson knew he had to make a change, so he took the necessary steps to start hitting the gym and get into bodybuilding—but the other half of the equation was a bit trickier to figure out. “My diet was pretty much complacent and consisted mainly of food that was easy to make,” Wilson told The Mirror. “I was not looking after myself, but I managed to turn my life around.” Today, the 28-year-old father of two is a chiseled bodybuilder who weighs a lean 168 pounds—and he couldn’t have made his transformation without the help of an unexpected source: his butcher.

In order to get the sufficient amount of protein that he needs, Wilson must eat six egg whites, 400 grams of steak, 400 grams of fish, and 600 grams of chicken in a day—a mighty expensive diet. So Wilson went looking for a butcher to help him out, and local meat man Alan Elliot stepped up. Elliot supplies Wilson with meat and eggs at a reduced price, and in return, the bodybuilder promotes the butcher’s business on social media, T-shirts, and other merchandise. How many other athletes do you know who are backed by a butcher? “Usually bodybuilders get sponsored by supplement companies who produce protein powders and meal replacement shakes,” Wilson told The Mirror.

See Wilson’s amazing transformation here:

Andrew Daniels Andrew Daniels is the How To editor for Popular Mechanics.

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