A POOLE man who consumed 20 cans of Diet Coke and up to eight chocolate bars a day has shed more than 11 stone.

David Hunter weighed 24 stone and two pounds in October 2016 but now weighs 12 stone and 12 pounds after joining Weight Watchers.

He said he decided to lose weight after pictures he’d seen of himself at a close friend’s wedding in July 2016 caused him “pain and embarrassment”.

The suit he was pictured wearing was a size 56” jacket and 50” trousers, which he has since swapped for a size 40” suit jacket and 34” trousers.

David said: “I was definitely an emotional eater, rewarding myself with bad food choices if I had a bad day and rewarding myself again if I had a good day so all bases were covered so to speak.

“I didn’t quite realise how much I hated myself until I was well into this journey and I hid away not wanting to socialise at all and had no energy anyway due to my size and diet, so I didn’t ever really want to do anything but sit at home eating rubbish.

“I have a very addictive and obsessive personality, so I tend to be all or nothing with everything either really on it or not bothered at all and it was this trait that got me in trouble and also got me out. It was just a case of pointing my personality in the right direction.”

He was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy – a disease of the heart muscle - in January 2016 after what he and medical staff though had been a massive heart attack.

Before losing weight, his rested heart rate was 130/140 whereas now it's around 50.

After joining Weight Watchers, David started exercising and took up running and rowing. In October this year, he completed the Bournemouth Half Marathon in under two hours.

David added: “Colleagues and friends that haven’t seen me for a while have walked past me and not recognised me which is hilarious.

“I would say though that it takes the mind longer to repair than the body. I still see the 24 stone man in my mind and it is difficult to see what everyone else does. I’m sure it will come with time.”