IT WAS the start of 2012 when Simon Card looked at his ten-year-old son Oscar and feared he might not see him became an adult.
Weighing 25st 5lb, the then 45-year-old Chart Downs resident knew he had put himself in a potentially life-threatening situation and decided to take action.
And in just over a year, his new lifestyle helped him lose 8st 11lbs which has not only brought his weight down to a healthier 14st 6lbs but also boosted his self-confidence.
"I got to the stage when I looked at myself and thought, if I carry on this like I'm not going to last much longer," said Mr Card, now 46. "I was thinking of my son and thinking that I might not have long left."
He added: "I had covered up all the mirrors in my house so I didn't have to look at myself in the morning."
His appearance has changed so dramatically since he started shedding the pounds in January last year that some of his friends struggle to identify him.
"Some people don't recognise me, which is always quite entertaining," he said.
"Everyone's absolutely thrilled though. I don't think they can believe it."
Mr Card credits his success to his attendance at Slimming World meetings in Dorking.
"The eating plan is all about making the right choices," he continued.
"You can have pretty much anything you want. If you want to get up on a Sunday morning and have sausages and bacon you can, but you can't fry it in loads of oil.
"It's about having three proper meals, not skipping breakfast and then not eating lunch till three in the afternoon. Actually, the more you eat the more you lose, as long as you're eating the right stuff."
As well as changing his diet, he has also become much more active, taking up cycling last April.
He now cycles between 70 and 100 miles a week, and is taking part in the 54-mile London to Brighton Bike Ride for the British Heart Foundation in June this year.
"My self-confidence has come bounding back," he said. "Now I like what I see in the mirror."
Slimming World meets at Crossways Church on Junction Road every Thursday at 5.30 and 7.30pm.
Call Iain McMillan on 07858 383872 for information.
