John Harris, 76, from Stockport, saw his weight balloon from his high fat and processed food diet, and he added oil and butter to almost every meal. He then got some harrowing news
A man who was morbidly obese and given just 12 months to live has shared his incredible journey of shedding a whopping 10 stone.
John Harris, who once weighed a staggering 30st 2lbs, found himself out of breath even while crossing the road due to his extreme weight. His dangerously overweight condition led to a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in 2010 and multiple heart attacks.
The 76-year-old from Stockport saw his weight skyrocket due to his diet rich in high fat and processed foods, with oil and butter being a staple in almost every meal. His unhealthy lifestyle, which included heavy smoking and consuming eight pints of beer daily, resulted in numerous health scares.
In 1983, at the age of 35, John suffered a severe heart attack and received some harrowing news from his doctor – he had less than a year to live if he didn’t drastically change his habits. Fearing for his life and his family, John made the decision to quit smoking, but still experienced two more heart attacks in 2005 and 2013, reports the Manchester Evening News.
“I felt very self conscious about my weight,” John confessed. “I was in so much discomfort and unable to do many normal activities such as swimming and short walks”. In 2010, John was admitted to Manchester Royal Infirmary for angioplasty, a procedure to widen narrowed or blocked arteries or veins often caused by obesity.
He attempted various fad diets in an effort to lose weight, including consuming only low-calorie weight loss shakes and cabbage while severely limiting his calorie intake. John managed to shed five stone, but the diets he tried were just not sustainable, leaving him struggling to keep the weight off. “I was absolutely miserable and I was starving most of the time,” he confessed.
A recent survey has indicated that over half of UK adults have dabbled in fad diets to slim down. Out of the 56 per cent who gave these diets a go, a staggering three quarters didn’t see the weight loss they hoped for, or didn’t lose any weight at all, with some 11 per cent actually ending up heavier.
However, John’s life took a turn for the better in 2015 when he decided to join a Slimming World group in Hazel Grove. “I could still enjoy my favourite meals, but I made healthier choices, like cutting out oil and piling on the protein and veggies,” he explained.
Now, John boasts an impressive 10 stone weight loss, tipping the scales at 15 stone 3lbs a monumental 15 stone lighter than his weight following his first heart attack back in 1983. Initially hesitant about being the sole male in the group, John found unwavering support from his wife Carole Harris, 74, who has been instrumental in his weight loss journey.
“Without Carole this wouldn’t have been possible,” he gratefully acknowledged. “Everything I’ve done has been for her, she thinks that I’ve done brilliantly.” Carole, who joined simply to support her husband, has herself lost more than 3.5 stone and has dropped from a size 18 to a size 10.
By the end of 2023, John was informed that his type 2 diabetes had been reversed, thanks to his dramatic lifestyle overhaul and weight loss which helped bring his blood sugar levels into remission. He expressed immense pride and satisfaction with his weight loss journey. “If you have the right mindset, you can also do it,” he declared. “I’m over the moon.”
John said that since joining Slimming World in 2015, he “never doubted himself”, and revealed that he remains a member to this day. “I couldn’t have done it without Slimming World, our consultant Jo and the group, they made me feel so at ease from day one and helped me make some fabulous changes to my lifestyle, whilst still eating a wide variety of tasty food,” he shared.