Weight loss is a massive gain for Andy

At more than 17 stone, and aged 40, doctors warned Andy O’Sullivan he was a heart attack waiting to happen and could drop dead at any time.

“They said I needed to lose weight especially as both my parents had had near-death heart attacks when they were only 48 and 51; far too young by anyone’s admission.”

Last week top doctors questioned the validity of health checks for 40-year-olds, but Andy believes they are vital and believes if they had been available for his parents they wouldn’t have suffered heart attacks.

“Looking back, I realise I should have been more careful but sometimes you just need to be told the cold hard truth,” he says. “I had a habit of gorging on food, and my portion sizes were always huge. My parents’ heart condition is hereditary, and there is a history of high cholesterol in my family too. Knowing this, I shouldn’t have let my weight spiral out of control. At my heaviest, I weighed 17 stone and I had a cholesterol level of 14, which is extremely high seeing as five is considered a safe level. But if the doctor hadn’t made me sit up and take notice I would probably have kept going and put on more weight and ended up dead,” says Andy, 43, who works for Corporate Workspace in Leeds.

But even that didn’t immediately convince Andy he needed to take action.

“Even having this diagnosis didn’t spur me in to taking action about my weight, and it was only when I went to the doctors a few years later with chest pain, that it suddenly hit me; if I didn’t start looking after myself, I may not be around much longer to see my son Callum.

“He is 11 years old and he looks up to me a lot; he is my world. It was selfish of me to put myself at such high risk – not only do I want to be around to see him grow up, but I would hate for him to be without a father figure.”

Andy used to be super fit, having spent six years in the Army, But a series of injuries and operations and a job on the road led to bad habits and the weight shooting up. Andy’s health was so bad, he ended up having to be medically monitored.

“I couldn’t push back the truth anymore, I knew drastic action needed to be taken.”

He chose Diet Chef, which has portion-controlled and calorie-counted ready meals, because they were quick and easy, and importantly, fitted in with his lifestyle. He also changed his attitude towards exercise.

“Now after losing four stone in 10 months, I weigh a healthy 13.2 stone and my fitness levels are through the roof,” says Andy. “I feel like a 23 year old in a 43 year old’s body; my life has been re-invigorated and I’m much younger at heart. I have taken up various high intensity fitness programs, as well as yoga. I practice meditation, keeping both my body and mind focused. My health has improved so much I’m no longer being monitored by the doctor and have been told that I can worry less about the hereditary heart condition, which is great news for me and my family.”

Andy is now fitter and slimmer than when he was in the Army. He weighs 13st 2lb and his cholesterol has dropped to an impressive three, As well as the physical and psychological benefits of losing weight and getting fit, Andy has experienced emotional benefits as well.

“Since turning my life around, I have become much closer to my son. I now have more opportunities to embrace life and do the fun ‘lad/dad’ things together, like go boxing and running together. We genuinely enjoy life to the full – life is on the up.”