A dad who weighed 25 stone and spent more than £5,000 a year on takeaways has revealed the mortifying moment that changed his life.
Simon Furness says his food addiction became so bad he couldn’t even walk to his bed and slept upright on his living room chair for three years.
But his wake-up call finally came when a chair he was sitting on at the dentist snapped beneath him, leaving him feeling “embarrassed and disgusted”.
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“I got into a rut where I just gave up and I never went out the house or anything,” Simon, 57, told What’s The Jam.
“I didn’t go to bed for three years – I was sleeping in my chair.
“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 takeaways – I’d always have a special curry with special fried rice plus a big portion of chips. I’d probably have a starter too.
“Whenever I see old videos and pictures of myself, it repulses me.”
At his heaviest, Simon tipped the scales at 25 stone and could fit into 5XL T-shirts.
But it wasn’t just his mental health that suffered.
The 57-year-old’s unhealthy habits led to serious health issues, including type 2 diabetes and severe sleep apnea where he stopped breathing 104 times an hour.
Alongside his five takeaways a week, his typical daily diet included half a loaf of bread alongside two large tins of soup, kebab meat, a 12in pizza and three packs of Haribo.
But his much-needed reality check came during a routine visit to the dentist.
Simon, from Marston, Northwich, said: “I was sat in the waiting room and the chair I was sitting on collapsed.
“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 even said I had one of the worst sleep apnea cases they had ever seen.
“It all affected me that badly with my kids and grandkids – I was no good to them at all.”
Simon says his unhealthy lifestyle finally changed when his wife joined a local slimming group, Beeweighed, and encouraged him to try it too.
The former Morrison’s truck loader said: “I tried Slimming World, Weight Watchers, tried everything but just couldn’t get on with it.
“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.”
Incredibly, through calorie counting, Simon has gone on to lose a whopping eight stone – and reversed his sleep apnoea.
Now weighing 17st 1lb, he hopes to reach his target weight of 16 stone soon.
Simon said: “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.”
Simon’s old diet:
- Breakfast – a big bowl full of Alpen muesli, pint of full-fat milk on top of that.
- Lunch – 2 tins of meatballs, half a loaf of bread and butter with that, 2 tins of cream of tomato soup.
- Snack – 3 bags of Haribo sweets.
- Dinner – large kebab meat and chips, large portion of chicken wings with that as well, burgers, 12in pizza.
Simon’s new diet:
- Breakfast – 2/3 apples and a sweet tangerine.
- Lunch – a wrap with salad.
- Snack – no snacking; if he gets hungry, an apple.
- Dinner – food delivered each week, Mindful Chef.
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