Sunderland rugby player told he was on the verge of a heart attack sheds 9st during lockdown

Ryan Buckley has come a long way since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 33-year-old admits he had become ‘obsessed’ with takeaways as his long working hours made the lure of fast food too hard to resist.

Gaining 12st in three years, Ryan saw his weight spiral to 28st 13lb and felt he was no longer able to play rugby.

“I had a takeaway addiction,” Ryan said.

”I think that at the time I didn’t realise, but looking back it was horrible.

“I would wake up in the morning and be obsessed with getting a McDonald’s breakfast.

”I was also a secret eater. When my housemates were at work I’d order a takeaway and then get rid of he evidence. I was stuck in a trap.”

But the turning point came in February 2020 when he went to see a doctor suffering with headaches and symptoms of vertigo.

Ryan said: “I was bending down and pretty much fainting. It was scary.

“I had never imagined me being near 30st.

“I went to the doctor and he took my blood pressure, which was ridiculously high.

“He said there were some issues with my liver and kidneys.

“He told me that if it continued I could have a heart attack in the next three to six months.”

The health scare spurred Ryan to commit to the Slimming World plan after joining the St John’s Methodist Church group on Ashbrooke Road, in January 2020.

Not long after he joined, the country was put into lockdown as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but Ryan was determined he would use the time to continue to change his lifestyle.

Starting out at a size 6XL and a 48in waist, Ryan has ditched the takeaways and transformed himself, shedding 9st 1lb in just over 17 weeks.

Now Ryan weighs 19st 12.5lb and is a size 2XL with a 38in waist.

“Lockdown has allowed me to focus without any outside distractions or social events,” he said.

“Grafting hard for a few months has fixed all my health issues.

“My blood pressure is perfect at the moment and there are no abnormalities with my liver and kidneys.

“I had thought I would have blood pressure issues for the rest of my life.”

Now Ryan is looking forward to being a part of Sunderland Rugby Club's pre-season training under the new Government guidelines.

“I had stopped playing ruby for a year and did more of a back-seat role,” he said.

“It was heartbreaking to see the team going on to so much success [with their promotion] without me being an active part of it.

“I had been playing since the age of 12 and it has been a huge part of my life.

“That was one of the things that motivated me [to lose the weight].”

Now Ryan is on a target to reach 18st – something he believes he will be able to reach in around six weeks.

He hopes sharing his story will show people that they too can make changes for a healthier lifestyle.

“I feel in a good place and my mental state is so much better,” he said.

“I wasn’t able to talk to anyone a year ago, but now I am not as anxious...I feel better in myself.”

Diet before:

Breakfast: McDonald’s.

Lunch: Takeaway sandwich or mince and dumplings.

Dinner: Takeaways such as pizza and curry.

Diet after:

Breakfast: Omelette or poached eggs on toast or fruit and yogurt.

Lunch: Homemade vegetable soup.

Dinner: Homemade pasta or chicken curry.

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