Dad unrecognisable after tipping 24st on all-inclusive holiday and fearing death

26 October 2023 , 14:02

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Andrew was hit with the reality of his health and worried about his future when he returned home from the holiday (Image: Andrew Hulbert)

When Andrew Hulbert jetted off on an all-inclusive holiday in Spain with his family, he didn't care about overindulging or exercising. The dad-of-two enjoyed greasy fry-ups every morning, treats throughout the day and unlimited beers and cocktails from the bar, but when he returned home, he faced the consequences.

Stepping onto the scales, Andrew, 37, realised that he had gained a stone binge eating for two weeks in Mallorca, and was the heaviest he'd ever been at 24 stone. He was suddenly hit with fears about his health and worried that he might not be around to watch his kids grow up if he didn't make a drastic change.

The dad-of-two realised he wasn't setting a healthy example to his kids (Andrew Hulbert)

He changed his lifestyle and has lost 8st in less than five months (Andrew Hulbert)

Speaking to the Mirror, Andrew, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, said: "I came back from a two-week all-inclusive holiday in May 2023 and got on the scales to find I was 24 stone, the heaviest I'd been in my adult life. I have a young family that are growing up and I just looked in the mirror and thought, 'You need to change for them, or you won't be here for them'."

Andrew realised he wasn't setting a good example of a healthy lifestyle for his kids, who are both under the age of five. He would fork out £1,000 on pizzas and Chinese takeaways every month, indulge in 1,000-calorie doughnuts regularly and avoided exercise at all costs. "My diet leading up to the holiday was poor. I'd spend about £1,000 per month on takeaways and I was eating a lot of convenience food. I also had a thing for big freak doughnuts that are nearly 1,000 calories per go," he explained.

Andrew would spend £1,000 on takeaways a month and eat 1,000-calorie doughnuts (Andrew Hulbert)

"On holiday, my eating habits were particularly bad. I'd be having full breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks throughout the day. This also included drinking a load of beers, cocktails and cola. I was about 23 stone before and 24 stone when I came back." Andrew was wearing a size 4XL when he made the decision to cut out carbs and sugar, start walking everywhere and sign up for MAN v FAT Football (MvF) in June. The club is aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5, and combines weekly sessions with coaching off-pitch to help players shed unwanted pounds.

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"I needed to set myself a target and work backwards from there. It was easy to change my diet at first, but the biggest challenge was sticking to it," Andrew said. "The first two weeks in particular was really hard, as I effectively removed carbs, sugar, alcohol and caffeine from my diet. The withdrawal symptoms and headaches were bad. But after that, my energy levels were higher than they were before." He began parking half an hour away from meetings at work, so he'd be forced to walk for an hour each day - whether he "liked it or not".

He suffered headaches after cutting out sugar, alcohol and caffeine (Andrew Hulbert)

But now he has more energy than before and feels much happier at 16st (Andrew Hulbert)

"I then discovered MvF through Achieve Oxfordshire and I loved it from week one. I've always felt like weight loss is me versus me, but this time I've had the Abingdon team on my side too, which had been a gamechanger," Andrew explained. Over the last four months, he has lost eight stone by keeping up with training, healthy eating and regular walks. He praises MvF for improving his mental health as well as his physical. "As men, we can be so bad at discussing our challenges and talking about things that embarrass us. But MvF breaks down those barriers and removes the fear of being bullied," Andrew said. "It gives people a space to be open about their vulnerabilities in a way I've never seen before."

Andrew now wears a size large and weighs just over 16 stone - meaning he's lost a third of his body weight since June. It's a huge achievement for him and his fear of not being around for his kids has gone. "I never had a problem with body confidence even at my biggest, but what does make me feel amazing is the improved health stats," he said. "Getting my BMI down towards a healthy level, 20 percent reduction in resting heart rate and blood pressure. These make me feel good for the sake of my life longevity with my family. My family have been amazing supporters through this time and have helped me to keep focused. It's all been positive."

Nia Dalton