THEN
I was worried
I’d leave my
wife a widow
and never get
to see my
grandsons
grow upThe moment I...realised my health
was at breaking point
Tightly gripping my hand, my wife, Gail, looked
at me. ‘Whatever happens, we’ll get through this
together,’ she said. Her face betrayed what we were
both thinking, though. It had only been a few days
since I’d had some tests done at the hospital and
the fact they’d called me back in so quickly was
worrying. I tried to put on a brave front, but couldn’t
help feeling shaken. My doctors had been worried
about my irregular heartbeat for
months and now the specialist
confirmed I had heart failure.
It was just the latest in a series
of frightening health issues. For
months, I’d been battling chronic
pneumonia. After a spell in hospital,
rounds of antibiotics and several
tests – one of which revealed I had
borderline diabetes – my GP had
become concerned I might have lung
cancer. It had turned out to be a
severe infection and I was put on yet
more medication, including steroids.
Although I’d been relieved that it
wasn’t cancer, I knew my health had
taken a severe battering – and now
my fears were being confirmed.
As the specialist explained how my
heart was no longer pumping blood
as effectively as it should, I quietly
nodded. I couldn’t help feeling I was
partly to blame. I’d always been a
big bloke and loved nothing more
than indulging in pastries, pies and puddings as
well as enjoying a few pints over a game of darts.
To make matters worse, while I’d been ill, I hadn’t
been able to do my job as a landscape gardener, so
the weight had piled on and I’d gone up to 23st.The moment I...knew I had to take control
Despite my health worries, I hadn’t a clue where to
start with slimming down. So, for the next two-and-
a-half years, my weight continued going up. I was
constantly fighting for breath and although I wasMoments that made
a new man of me
SNAPSHOT
Tony Westaway, , is a
self-employed gardener and
Slimming World’s Man of
the Year . He lives in
Woodbury Salterton,
Devon, with his wife, Gail.
He has three children and
four grandchildren
Height: ft in
Starting weight: st lbs
Weight now: st lbsWEIGHT LOST:
13st 7lbsTony is a member of Ali Burford’s
Slimming World group in
Exmouth, Devonback at work, I was finding my job
increasingly difficult.
Then, in May 2015, Gail and I
flew to Ireland on holiday. We were
allocated seats next to the emergency
doors, but when I asked for a seat-belt
extender, the air hostess explained I’d
have to move seats, as extenders were
considered a safety risk so close to the
exits. I flushed with embarrassment as
I swapped seats with
the people behind me,
convinced everyone
was sniggering. There
and then, I made a
promise to myself that
I’d finally take control
and lose weight. I was
seriously worried about
leaving my wife a widow. Gail
and I had been married for 25
years and had three sons and
four smashing grandsons. The
thought of not being there to see
them grow up was unbearable.
Gail was already a
Slimming World member
and had asked me a few times
to go with her. I’d always
refused, certain I’d be the only
bloke there. Now I steeled
myself and just days after
returning from our holiday, I
followed Gail into her group...
and not only was there another man there, who’d
lost 5st, everyone was really friendly and keen to help.
When I stood on the scales and the figures
staring back at me revealed I was 27st 13lbs, my
Consultant, Ali, reassured me. ‘I’m here to help you
every step of the way,’ she said. I left feeling full of
motivation for putting my new plan into action.The moment I...learnt to eat healthily
Ali had explained Food Optimising to me and
assured me there was no need to feel hungry,Once almost st and with a failing heart, Tony Westaway
shares the ups and downs on his way to losing nearly half
his body weight, and transforming himself inside and out
SLIMMING WORLDREV1_TonyWestawaySuccess.indd 96 06/11/2017 15:23