Back in 2009, Andrew Montgomery, from County Armagh, weighed 520lbs. However, after seeing some wedding photos where he dwarfed the bridesmaid he was dancing with, he decided to do something about it.

Sticking to his New Year’s resolution, Montgomery lost 210lbs in 12 months, half of his own weight.

At his heaviest he had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 60.26, however, he had no idea how heavy he was as he had never weighed himself. A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 25.

Montgomery was in the morbidly obese category and got out of breath walking up a flight of stairs.

He was forced to action after seeing photos of himself towering over a size 8 (UK) bridesmaid, Hayley Doyle, at a friend’s wedding. He joined an online weight-loss site, Lighter Life, in January 2010 and lost half his body weight in one year.

The construction worker bought a treadmill and consumed just 500 calories per day, living on milkshakes, soup, and cereal bars. After ten months he began eating a balanced diet.
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He told the Daily Mail “'I couldn't avoid the pictures and it was a shock to see how huge I looked next to a size 8 bridesmaid.

“I had never weighed myself and I didn't realize how big I was until I could see myself compared to other people.

“That was the wake-up call I needed.

“I realized I could no longer avoid my weight issues and that if I didn't do something about it I might never find someone who wanted to walk down the aisle with me.'

This year Montgomery’s resolution is to find himself a wife.

His mother (60) was extremely worried about his health and tried to encourage him into a healthier life before.

She said “I used to be terrified that Andrew wouldn't wake up in the morning - he was miserable, our relationship was in tatters and I never thought he'd get and girlfriend and move out.

“Now all he needs is to find a nice girl to sweep off her feet - let's see what the New Year brings.”