A SUPER-SLIMMING dad who ballooned to 20 stone after gorging on takeaways has shed almost half his body weight – to transform himself into a hunky lifeguard.

Lloyd Knight, 29, weighed the same as a baby elephant after years of gorging on chocolates, crisps and late-night takeaway pizza.

The dad-of-two got so big he was unable to take daughters Lara-Hope, five, and Eva-Louise, two, to the park without struggling for breath.

On another occasion he was too bulky to fit in a ride at Alton Towers.

He finally changed his lifestyle after being "humiliated" when he saw a picture of himself at his best friend's wedding in Australia in 2016.

On returning to the UK, Lloyd, of Enderby, Leics. immediately signed up to his local Slimming World group, shedding 12 pounds (5.4kg) in his first week.

He has since lost nearly seven stone (44kg), and now weighs a trim 15st 4kgs (97kgs), after undergoing daily cardio sessions at Enderby Leisure Centre.

The amazing weight-loss has prompted him to quit his job stacking shelves at the Co-Op to take up a "dream role" as a lifeguard at the swimming pool in July last year.

Glasgow Times:

Lloyd, who lives with wife Charley, 29, a full-time mum, now aims to get down to 13 stone (82.5kg) before his 30th birthday in May.

He said: "I've always struggled with my weight, but in the ten years or so leading up the weight-loss, I really piled it on.

"I tried to keep it off a bit when I first met Charley, in order to impress her.

"But then, once we started to get comfortable with one another, I went back to my old habits. It would be constant chocolate bars, packets of crisps, and takeaways in front of the telly.

"I'd have at least three or four takeaways a week, I was just too lazy to cook for myself. I loved getting in pizza and Chinese food.

"Even when I was trying to cook for myself, it was be either frozen food or ready meals, nothing with any nutrition in it.

"There were a few times when I was embarrassed by my size, but I was never able to do anything about it. Every time that I started to lose weight, I'd just end up going back to my old habits.

"Me and the lads went to Alton Towers eight years ago, and I wasn't allowed on one of the rides because the safety harness didn't fit round me.

"They ripped into me because of that, but it was just banter and not something that affected me or made me change my habits.

"The kids used to ask me all the time whether I'd go to the park with them, and I'd always say 'later' or 'not right now'.

"Looking back it was pretty shameful. When we got there, they'd love to rush around on the swings and slides, but I'd be out of breath by the time we arrived and couldn't really play with them.

Glasgow Times:

"When I got back from the wedding in Australia, I looked at a picture of me and saw it as a real wake-up call.

"Of course I wanted to lose weight before, for the kids, but that photo pushed me over the edge.

"I signed up to Slimming World straightaway, along with Charley, and the weight just started to fall off me.

"Going to the gym seemed like a good ways to speed things up, and from there I got hooked on it.

"You meet so many great people there, and it's now a big social thing for me, as well as a means to weight-loss.

"I'd always dreamed of a job where I'd be able to help people, as I wasn't finding my job in retail particularly fulfilling.

"Out of an idle-chat, one of the guys at the gym suggested that I apply for a job there, because I was going everyday anyway and everybody could see the effect that it had had on me.

"I got a job as a lifeguard, and have now worked my way up to being a duty-manager, which is extremely fulfilling.

"On two occasions I've had to jump in two save kids, which was a bit terrifying but was a huge adrenaline rush.

"At the end of the day that is my job, but to be able to save people like that when a few years ago I could hardly even walk to the park is an amazing feeling.

"I love the job, it doesn't feel like work most of the time. It's a great environment for me to be in, I think it's only going to help me to keep the weight off."

LLOYD'S MEAL PLAN PRE-DIET

Breakfast: Water.

Snack: A chocolate bar and two packets of crisps.

Lunch: A shop bought sandwich, two chocolate bars and a packet of crisps with fizzy pop.

Dinner: Takeaway meat feast pizza.

LLOYD'S MEAL PLAN POST-DIET

Breakfast: Oats with fruit.

Lunch: Ham omelette.