Today he's 120kg lighter - and he's determined to lose even more.
THE bed in the corner of the lounge reminds him of a prison cell. For five years he was held captive in it by his own huge body, unable to get up even once in all that time.
At his heaviest, Norman Nel (42) weighed 300kg and he hated himself. His weight stole everything from him and he was in mortal danger from hypertension and sky-high cholesterol.
He was also deeply depressed and his relationship with his wife, Melanie (42), was strained.
"There were times I didn't want to live anymore, Norman says.
Norman Nel, with his family, when he tipped the scales at almost 300kg.
But those days are over now. He knew he had to do something drastic or Melanie and his daughter, Micayla (16), would be burying him. Norman, who lives in Bellville, Cape Town, ditched the fad diets that had seen his weight yoyo dramatically over the years and stuck to a high-fat, low-carb, zero-sugar diet that's helped him lose 120kg.
His goal is to lose another 30kg by the end of the year, which will take him to 150kg. Then he'll be on his way to his ultimate goal weight of 100kg. Norman is determined to keep on the straight and narrow.
For years he couldn't walk, drive a car or even go to the bathroom. Support from his wife, Melanie, helped him get his life back.
"Look," he says, pushing himself up off the couch - something he couldn't do late last year. "Three months a ago I could pull myself up with a walker and keep standing. A month ago, I was able to walk outside for the first time.
"Now I walk, still using the walker, around the block every day."
The 10XL shirts that used to be too tight are now far too big, as are the shorts that once strained to contain his bulk.
ãã®èšäºã¯ YOU South Africa ã® 26 May 2022 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ YOU South Africa ã® 26 May 2022 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
BALLON IN THE BAG
Manchester City midfielder Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante says his Ballon d'Or win is a victory for Spanish football
IT WAS ALL A LIE
A new doccie exposes the Grey's Anatomy writer who fabricated her life story
'I WILL NEVER GIVE UP'
After her husband, anticorruption activist Alexei Navalny, was poisoned and murdered by the Kremlin, she became the public face of Russia's opposition. In this candid interview Yulia Navalnaya opens up about life on the run, her perilous family life and why she's continuing her husband's fight to save their country
AGREE TO DISAGREE
Trevor Noah on how his childhood squabbles with his mother inspired his delightful new book
PAUSE THE CLOCK
Researchers have discovered that the ageing process spikes at 44 and 60. Here's what you can do to slow it down
MPOOMY ON TOP
We chat to SA's most popular female podcaster about love, loss and her booming success
MY BROTHER IS NOT TO BLAME
Tinus Drotské says his sibling, ex Bok NÇka, is the victim in the brawl with a neighbour that landed up in court
MATT THE RECLUSE
A year after his friend's tragic death, the actor continues to shun the spotlight
A LEAP OF FAITH
After her husband tried to kill her by tampering with her parachute she thought she'd never trust a man again-but now she's found love
THEY'RE MY KIDS!
This West Coast woman treats her monkeys as iftheyre humans and animal activists are not happy about it