'I was 23st and thought I was going to die - now I've lost 8st'

'I was 23st and thought I was going to die - now I've lost 8st' Michael Collins was pre-diabetic and had high cholesterol and blood pressure A chef who “ballooned” to more than 23 stone after years of binge eating feared his children would “grow up without a father” after being diagnosed as pre-diabetic, before shedding eight stone and “turning” his life around. Michael Collins, a 41-year-old who stands at 6ft tall, reached his heaviest weight of 23st 2lb (147kg) in 2024 after years of binge eating, leaving him “depressed” and avoiding socialising. Michael, who lives in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, discovered he was pre-diabetic and had high cholesterol and blood pressure levels in autumn 2024, prompting him to join Man v Fat, a weight-loss football programme. Combining football with gym sessions, he lost around 4.4lbs (2kg) a week, dropping to 14st 13lb (95kg) by 2026, while also reversing his health issues. Now maintaining his weight, Michael says “the fog has lifted” and he takes his children swimming and to football, with his only regret being that he “did not do anything sooner”. Michael, who is married to Milena, 38, and a father to Emrys, eight, and Emilia, seven, said: “I felt depressed – I think if I didn’t have kids, something worse might have come of it. I couldn’t go swimming with them because I was too embarrassed to get in my trunks, and I just thought something has got to change. “Otherwise I’m going to have a major heart attack and die, my kids are going to grow up without a father. I was offered a gastric band, but I wanted to do it on my own.” In 2024, Michael reached his heaviest weight of 23st 2lb (147kg) after spending a “couple of years” emotional eating and doing little exercise. “I worked in stressful kitchens and I think that contributed to my binging,” he said. “I used to play rugby, but it got to the point where I just couldn’t do it anymore. I felt awful about myself.” At the time, a typical day of eating for Michael would start with a sausage, bacon and egg sandwich made with four slices of bread. For lunch, he would often eat four sausage rolls, while dinner was usually a takeaway. He could “quite easily” eat a large takeaway pizza, chicken dippers and cookies, followed by a tub of ice cream. He estimates he was consuming a minimum of 4,000 calories a day. Michael wore a 48-inch waist and XXL clothes and found it “really hard” to find clothes that fitted him on the high street. He said: “I needed a suit to go to my brother-in-law’s wedding and I tried on every suit in the shop and nothing fit me… I remember getting hot and sweaty and stressed. I’ve always had a big frame from playing rugby, but I didn’t realise how big I got.” His weight also began to affect his social life, with Michael often “cancelling plans at the last minute”. If he did go out, he would drink “a lot” of alcohol beforehand to make him “feel more confident”. At the time, he was pre-diabetic and had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and low lung capacity. He added: “I just felt tired all the time, lazy, stressed and depressed.” While on holiday with his family in summer 2024, Michael saw an advert for Man v Fat, a weight-loss programme where men play weekly football matches alongside losing weight. After returning home, Michael decided to give it a go. He followed a “strict” diet and cut out alcohol, typically eating eggs for breakfast, chicken and salad for lunch and another protein-heavy snack later in the day. Twice a week, he would allow himself “extra treats”, including a takeaway or some ice cream. He lost around 4.4lbs (2kg) a week on average and, after becoming “great friends” with his fellow players, began playing football another three times a week alongside three gym sessions. However, his “rapid” weight loss meant he had to spend “hundreds” on new clothes. Michael is now 14st 13lb (95kg), wears a medium and has a size 34in waist and is focused on maintaining his weight. He said: “I feel more confident, happier and less tired. I don’t feel sad all the time and I’ve had counselling. I take my kids swimming and I take my son to football with me and the fog has lifted.” His blood pressure, cholesterol and lung capacity are now at normal levels and he has reversed his pre-diabetes. “I feel so much better and I’m going to launch my own business, selling and making dry rubs, and I never would have done that before,” he said. “Losing weight has made me be more open with my feelings and talking about stuff…all my family are really proud.” To others wanting to lose weight, he said: “I would just say give it a go, open yourself up, you never know until you try. You’ve got nothing to lose apart from weight!” Samaritans can be contacted for free, day or night, 365 days a year, on 116 123, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch. For further support regarding eating disorders, visit beateatingdisorders.org.uk. Michael is sharing his experience as part of not-for-profit healthcare provider Benenden Health’s The Wake-Up Call campaign, which explores why many men only take action over their health after something significant happens. New research among 2,000 UK men aged 30-55 found that 66% have experienced a health-related “wake-up call” that made them take their health more seriously and the most common triggers were their own health scare or seeing someone close to them become seriously ill. For more information, visit benenden.co.uk/wake-up-call.