Thirty-three stone football fan loses HALF his body weight after being 'too fat' to fit in the turnstile while going to watch Everton
- Lee Coolahan, 35, from Norwich, was shamed into losing 16 stone
- The Norwich City fanatic got trapped as he tried to enter Everton stadium
- He cut down on ready meals and now goes to the gym four days a week
- The 35-year-old hopes to win Slimming World National Man of the Year
A 33-stone football fan was shamed into losing half his body weight after being too large to fit through the turnstile to watch his favourite team play.
Lee Coolahan, 35, from Norwich, was left red-faced after getting trapped as he tried to enter Everton's Goodison Park ground in Liverpool in January last year.
The Norwich City fanatic cringed with embarrassment in front of the 400 angry supporters stuck behind him, and made a vow to lose weight.
Lee Coolahan, 35, from Norwich, was left red-faced after getting trapped as he tried to enter Everton's Goodison Park in January last year. The 33-stone football fan lost 16 stone, right, after the incident
The transformed football fan now spends an hour in the gym four days a week, runs on the fifth day, and plays golf at weekends
Lee, who admits to wolfing down huge quantities of food, including ready meals, at his heaviest was determined to get fit - and started to exercise and eat healthily after joining Slimming World.
Over the next 18 months, Lee saw the pounds fall off - and he lost 16 stone, slimming to 17st 3lbs.
He said of the incident that inspired him to lose weight: 'I approached the turnstile to enter the ground and my worst fears were realised - I couldn't get through the gap.
Thirty-three Lee got trapped in the turnstile of Goodison Park in Liverpool, inspiring him to lose weight
'It took two stewards to release the emergency mechanism and help me out,' he recalled.
'About 400 fans waiting at the blocked turnstiles listened on as the stewards shouted to each other that they needed to open the special entrance because I was too fat. It was terrible.'
Lee swore to beat the flab after the horrifying incident, which he said badly damaged his feelings.
'I sat through a miserable game which, to top it off, Norwich lost,' he said.
Lee is hoping to crown his achievements by winning the Slimming World National Man of The Year competition this weekend
Lee now describes his previous life, in which he used to wolf down huge quantities of ready meals, as an 'existence'.
'My idea of experimentation in the kitchen had been whether to pierce the cellophane on my ready meal just once or twice,' he said.
'I've always loved food but now not only does it taste better but it helps me lose weight every week.'
The transformed football fan now spends an hour in the gym four days a week, runs on the fifth day, and plays golf at weekends.
Lee is now hoping to crown his achievements by winning the Slimming World National Man of The Year competition.
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