Depressed 5XL dad, 57, so fat he stopped breathing 104 times an hour shares simple secret to 8st weight loss
At 25st, he was too fat to climb the stairs to his bed after spending £5,000 a year on takeaways. But even the fact he stopped breathing 104 times an hour wasn't the wake-up call he needed to transform his waistline - and his health.
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Simon, 57, tells Sun Health: 'I got into a rut where I just gave up; I never left the house or anything.
'I didn't go to bed for three years - I was sleeping in my chair.
'Whenever I see old videos and pictures of myself, it repulses me.
'I was depressed. All the money I had was all going on food, on takeaways.
'It was at least £20 a night, £100 a week. I would get them five times a week. They were so easy.
'Because I wasn't going out anywhere, I would sit in the chair and order off my phone to get them delivered.
'I was addicted to Chinese food – I'd always have a special curry with special fried rice, plus a big portion of chips. I'd probably have a starter too."
At his heaviest, Simon tipped the scales at 25st and wore 5XL t-shirts.
His unhealthy habits led to serious health issues, including type 2 diabetes and severe sleep apnoea, which caused him to stop breathing 104 times an hour.
Alongside his five takeaways a week, Simon's typical daily diet included half a loaf of bread with two large tins of soup, kebab meat, a 12in pizza and three share-bags of Haribo.
He ate like this for years, until a much-needed reality check during a routine visit to the dentist.
Simon, from Marston, Cheshire, says: 'I was sitting in the waiting room and the chair collapsed beneath me.
'I trapped my finger – that was so embarrassing.
'It made me feel terrible. I was disgusted; I just felt so low. The doctor even put me on antidepressants.
'Doctors then told me I had one of the worst cases of sleep apnoea they had ever seen.
'It all affected me. I was no good to my kids or grandkids at all.'
Simon says his lifestyle finally changed when his wife Jo joined a local slimming group, Beeweighed, and encouraged him to try it too.
The retired Morrison's truck loader says: 'I did Slimming World, Weight Watchers, I tried everything, but I just couldn't get on with any of them.
'With this one, for some reason, it just sunk in.
'Lynda, the owner, was so encouraging. The talks she gives are amazing and it really got through to me and opened my eyes.
'She's made me think about what I eat, before I eat it.
'It's just been a total diet change.
'I signed up in October 2024 and the rest is history.'
Simon's diet: before and after
Simon's old diet:
Breakfast – a big bowl full of Alpen muesli with a pint of full-fat milk.
Lunch – 2 tins of meatballs, half a loaf of bread and butter, 2 tins of cream of tomato soup.
Snack – 3 bags of Haribo.
Dinner – large kebab meat and chips, a large portion of chicken wings, burgers, 12in pizza.
Simon's new diet:
Breakfast – 2 apples and 1 sweet tangerine.
Lunch – a wrap with salad.
Snack – no snacking; or maybe an apple.
Dinner – meals delivered each week from Mindful Chef.
Mindful Chef offers meal kits and is similar to Hello Fresh and Gousto. It supplies subscribers with recipe kit boxes, which include ready-measured, fresh ingredients and easy-to-follow healthy recipes. They offer a range of 800 recipes, all of which are gluten free and contain no "stodgy carbs" making them the "perfect accompaniment to a healthy lifestyle", according to the website. By measuring out ingredients, the meal kits help people watching their calorie-intake, but controlling portion size.
Simon has gone on to lose a whopping 8st – and 'reversed' his sleep apnoea.
He puts his success down to the warm and supportive welcome he received at Beeweighed.
The programme begins with private weigh-ins and one-to-one chats, followed by group discussions focused on nutrition, motivation, celebrating successes and sharing practical tips on diet and exercise.
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'Lynda and the group are behind me and give me the inspiration to turn up every week,' Simon says.
'I look forward to getting weighed.
'I have never felt pressured to lose weight at Beeweighed like with other groups I've attended in the past.
'I would recommend it to anyone starting out their journey.'
'I feel like a new person'
Now weighing 17st 1lb, he feels fantastic, and hopes to reach his target weight of 16st soon.
Simon says: 'Before, I couldn't move out of my chair.
'Now I go on days out with my seven grandkids – proper things like a grandad should do. I'm loving it.
'I know everyone needs a little treat every now and again – I do myself on a Friday.
'But in the past, I just ate whatever I wanted and I paid for it.
'It's brilliant. I've given away all my old clothes to the charity shop.
'I feel like a new person.'
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