IF I CAN DO IT SO CAN YOU'

His weight ballooned to 300kg and he spent five years in bed, unable to get up - but a new way of eating has transformed his life

- CYRIL BLACKBURN

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.