I lost 40 kilos in eight months after doctors gave me terrifying health news – now even my wife struggles to recognise me in public

A jeweler has revealed how he lost 40 stone in just eight months after giving up his sneaky snacking habits – and it has changed his appearance so dramatically that his wife even struggles to notice him in the crowd.

Chris Hannan, once nicknamed “Fat Dad” by his son, knew he was way overweight.

But speaking to FEMAIL, the 46-year-old from Melbourne explained that he was never unhappy with his size and so did nothing about it.

One day in August 2023, he decided to go to the doctor for a realistic snapshot of his health.

“I told myself if she says I’m pre-diabetic or something, I have to change something,” he said.

The 46-year-old says he now has a lot of energy and feels great

The reality was much more sobering.

Not only was Chris very overweight, but he also had pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, fatty liver disease and inflammation.

‘The doctor wanted to prescribe me medication to lose weight, but of course I also wanted to try it myself.’

And he did.

In the first six months, Chris lost 30 pounds just by changing his eating habits.

“I do intermittent fasting and eat Lite and Easy at lunch because it’s easy and eat with the family,” he said.

He explained that his wife Julie-Anne had always prepared healthy meals for the family, but he simply ate too much of it.

He also snacked too often, consuming thousands of calories in sugary drinks like cola and bubble tea.

Chris and his dad Jim before and after Chris’s epic weight loss

“I woke up and had breakfast – nothing unhealthy, just some toast and stuff,” he said.

Then things would go downhill.

‘Maybe I’ll get a burger from Maccas. “I would have lunch at home, but I would also go out for a burger or donuts,” he said.

‘Then I had a bag of lollipops or something at work. Go home, have dinner, and then eat four pieces of toast while watching TV.”

Chris didn’t want his wife to know how bad his diet was, even though he had gone from 150 pounds to 250 pounds in ten years.

Chris doesn’t count calories every day and ‘still eats chocolate’ and pizza – he just has less of it.

He figures he consumes about 1,000 calories a day and fasts until 1 p.m., which helps him reduce his intake.

In February, Chris began adding exercise to his weight loss efforts. He went running for the first time with his 12-year-old who once nicknamed him “Fat Dad.”

Chris said his children called him “fat dad.”

“He skipped along and I stopped every few hundred yards.”

Chris now runs seven or eight kilometers a few times a week and has signed up for a 10 km fun run. Next year he wants to complete a half marathon.

Although the father of three says he was always happy, he didn’t realize how much happier he could be.

He says he feels more confident, energetic and loves his life. He can also play more with his children, which is important to him.

He has lost 40 pounds since the doctor told him he needed to address his weight problem

When Chris went to his doctor she barely recognized him and tests showed he was in great shape and had reversed the impact of his previous unhealthy lifestyle.

She’s not the only one who doesn’t recognize him.

‘My wife walks past me in public. She doesn’t recognize my shape in a crowd,” he said.

Chris says he still has some to lose and will add muscle building exercises to his regimen next.