DRIVER MATT TAKES AWAY NINE STONE

Medical tests sparked 24st man into action

A DIGGER driver addicted to takeaways lost 9st after a health check left him fearing for his life.

Matthew Sneddon, 47, tipped the scales at 24st as he binged on junk food and ate a takeaway for lunch almost every day.

He got a wake-up call in March 2017 when he was sent for a work-related medical. Doctors found his blood pressure was severely high – at 120/110.

Fearing a heart attack would kill him, Matthew, from Kilmarnock, went to a Slimming World meeting that night and began his weight-loss journey.

He said: “I had a sad lifestyle before. I worked, ate and then went to bed.

I had no energy or willpower to do anything.

“Now I love life. I even went abroad – and I’d never done that before as I couldn’t sit on a plane seat. I was too heavy and it was embarrassing.”

Matthew now works as a transport and plant manager but previously was employed as a digger driver.

A typical work day would see him eat two filled rolls and fried sausage before his shift, another two at 10am, a Chinese or cafe takeaway at lunch before going home to have another takeaway for dinner.

Matthew now eats Weetabix before work, then prepped pasta at 10am and for lunch. He goes home and has a healthy meal at night.

He also enjoys a more active lifestyle, walking his four-year-old Springer spaniel Digger every day before work and climbs hills with a friend, too.

Matthew, who is now 15st, urged anyone concerned about their weight to take action and go to a slimming class.

He said: “That’s what I did and it’s life-changing.”