Obese man who weighed 34st and wore size XXXXXXXL clothing could barely stand up – but now he’s looking for love after shedding half his body weight

• Jon Vidler,  42, from Hampshire could barely stand for more than a few minutes
• Senior quality officer wore a size XXXXXXXL and had number of health problems
• The Hampshire man decided to start a new diet in 2015 and is now avid runner
• He dropped 20.5 in total and was crowned Slimming World’s Biggest Loser 2019 

A man who lost 20.5 stone since starting a new diet in 2015 has been crowned Slimming World’s Biggest Loser of 2019. 

Jon Vidler, 42, from Hampshire could barely stand on his feet at his heaviest. Weighting 33st 12lbs and standing at 5ft 8in, only size XXXXXXXL  clothes could accommodate his 66in waist. 

Jon suffered from several panic attacks and even went through a heart attack scare due to his heavy weight. 

But the senior quality officer managed to turn his life around, dropping 20.5 stone and reaching a healthy 13st 5lbs and trading his large shirts for a size M. 

Now the picture of health, he’s become an avid runner and exercises regularly.

 Jon Vidler, 42, from Hampshire could barely stand on his feet at his heaviest, when he weighed 33st 12lbs (left). John managed to turn his life around, dropping 20.5 stone and reaching a healthy 13st 5lbs (right)

Jon Vidler, 42,  went from 33st 12lbs to 13st 5lbs after deciding to go an a diet due to health reasons and attending Slimming World in Hampshire (pictured: Jon during his weight loss transition)

Jon has now been crowned Slimming World’s Biggest Loser 2019, after he started the diet in 2015 and dropped 20.5 stone 

Jon has gone from being barely able to stand up for more than a few minutes to running races and exercising regularly  

Vidler said as far as he could remember, he had always been heavy. Being the victim of relentless bullying at school, he turned to food to find comfort and would eat spoonfuls of brown sugar to make himself feel better. 

‘As I grew older and earned my own money I just ate whatever and whenever I wanted,’ on said, adding he would often overeat in secret. 

When the pounds started piling on, he retreated from others even further and food became his only solace. 

His poor physical health seriously affected his quality of life, and turned benign treatments into life-threatening procedure. 

Jon, with friends after running a 10K in Eastleigh after his weight loss. The senior quality officer used to suffer from a number of health issues relative to his weight

The Hampshire man suffered several panic attacks and was even once rushed to the hospital for fear he was having a heart attack. Pictured: left: Jon before, right: Jon now

His heavy weight used to make his life difficult, and he would turn to food and hide away at home. Pictured: Jon with a friend after running a 10K

Pictured: Jon holding a Mr Sleek flyer from Slimming World in 2018. He’s now been crowned Slimming World’s Biggest Loser 2019 

‘While some of my health issues were a direct result of my weight, there have been times where diagnosis and treatment of more serious issues have been affected by my size, Jon said. 

Jon explained that a simple lump removal surgery he had intended to have before his weight loss turned into a high risk operation when the anaesthetist grew concerned Jon would suffer a stroke.  

On an other occasion, when Jon needed to undergo a cat scan after having a cancerous lump removed, and being bigger than the authorised limit, he had to be pulled out of the machine, which broke due to the extra weight. 

From a size XXXXXXXL to a size M. Jon’s waist used to be 66 inches wide.  Pictured: Jon showing his loose skin 

Jon before his weight loss. The 42-year-old could barely stands but now walks 2.5 to 3 miles a day

The hard work paid off. Jon, pictured during his weight loss transition, ditched takeaways for meals cooked from scratch and took himself on bike rides

These repeated health problems prompted Jon to eventually make a life change. 

Years before, Jon had managed to lose 9 st and 7lbs, but he put the weight back on after the devastating loss of his mother, who had died of an illness just seven weeks after being diagnosed. 

‘I started using food as a comfort again and I just couldn’t see a way out,’ he said. 

At the start of 2015, he joined Slimming World under a guidance of a friend and his wife, and he said that ‘something clicked’ this time around. 

First 10K. Jon used to munch on sweets and chocolate at any chance he had, and would even eat spoonfuls of brown sugar as a child to make himself better

A confident smile. Jon (pictured) now enjoys home-made meals and soups and replaced sweet with fruits 

Jon with a friend before his weight loss (pictured). Jon was encouraged to drop the weight by his family and friends

Jon started cooking his meals from scratch and going for daily walks as well as exercising. 

Thanks to the support of his father – who joined the programme himself – Jon felt even more encourage to keep at his goal. 

‘It really does make a difference when the people around you understand and support what you are trying to achieve,’ he said. 

A second chance. Jon says he is determined to make the most of his life now his dropped the weight ( left: before, right; after) 

Jon attending a family function before his weight loss. He had tried to shed the weight before, but gained it back when his mother died suddenly

Only the eyes and haircut remained the same. Jon is a changed man after dropping 20.5 stone and feels much more confident in his 13st 5lbs frame

Jon, who could barely walk at his heaviest now walks at least 2.5 miles a day and has completed two 10 kilometers races. His eyes are now set on climbing Mount Snowdon, but there’s another thing on his agenda. 

‘It might sound corny, but my biggest dream is to find someone to share my life with,’

‘I feel like I’ve got a second chance and I want to fill it with things that I used to miss out on because of my weight, so meeting that special someone to share those memories with me would be amazing,’ he added. 

Jon on the job (pictured). He admits his big frame made his job more difficult as hje and turned easy tasks in hard challenges

Jon, pictured fitting his whole body in one of his old pair of trousers. He says he’s now ready for love 

Jon’s before diet 

Breakfast: Half a box of cereal covered in sugar

Snacks: Sweets, chocolate, crisps

Lunch: Sandwiches filled with salad cream and egg mayonnaise

Dinner: A takeaway or a couple of microwave meals 

Snacks: More sweets, chocolate bars and crisps                                                                                                                                          

Jon’s after diet

Breakfast: A cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs, baked beans, mushrooms, spinach and lean bacon

Lunch: Home-made chilli or pasta dish or a home-made soup

Snacks: Fresh fruit

Dinner: Something made from scratch from one of Slimming World’s recipe books – such as diet coke chicken

Snacks: More fruit or a small chocolate bar 

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