A 57-year-old grandfather who once weighed 25 stone and suffered from life-threatening health issues has shared how a simple shift in mindset helped him lose eight stone and reclaim his life.
Simon Furness, from Marston, Cheshire, spent three years sleeping upright in a chair because he was unable to climb the stairs to his bedroom. Depressed and rarely leaving the house, he was spending around £5,000 a year on takeaway food and wearing size 5XL clothing.
At his heaviest, Simon’s unhealthy lifestyle had led to type 2 diabetes and one of the most severe cases of sleep apnoea doctors had seen, causing him to stop breathing 104 times an hour. Despite this, he admits nothing initially motivated him to change.
“I gave up,” Simon said. “I barely moved, I didn’t go out, and all my money went on food. Takeaways were easy, and I was addicted.”
His daily diet regularly included pizza, kebab meat, bread, sweets and multiple takeaway meals each week. The reality finally hit during a routine dental visit when a chair collapsed beneath him, leaving him embarrassed and emotionally crushed.
“I was disgusted with myself,” he said. “I was no good to my kids or my grandkids.”
Everything changed in October 2024 when Simon joined Beeweighed, a local slimming group his wife Jo had already signed up to. Unlike previous diets he’d tried, the supportive environment and practical advice finally clicked.
“It wasn’t pressure – it was encouragement,” Simon explained. “They taught me to think about food before I eat it.”
Since then, Simon has lost an incredible eight stone, reversing his sleep apnoea and transforming his health. Now weighing 17st 1lb, he’s close to his target and enjoying life again.
“Before, I couldn’t move from my chair,” he said. “Now I’m out making memories with my seven grandkids. I feel like a new person.”
