EXCLUSIVE: James Shadbolt, 40, spoke about his incredible weight loss journey where he dropped nearly 4st in six months – and it all began with a huge wake-up call08:10, 29 Jul 2026A dad who once struggled to play football with his kids revealed how a family member's health scare inspired his weight loss journey.‌James Shadbolt spoke about his panic when his son woke him up to tell him his step dad Kevin had collapsed on the kitchen floor and suffered a cardiac arrest. The 40-year-old performed CPR on his relative before paramedics arrived moments later. Thankfully his step dad recovered, but the situation was just the beginning for the dad-of-four. The chef described the scare as a blur and "out of the blue" which soon turned into a huge wake-up call for him.‌Now speaking exclusively with Mirror, James, from Poole, revealed the health scare inspired his weight loss journey where he dropped just under 4st in 6 months.‌Discussing Kevin's cardiac arrest which happened in December 2023, James said: "My initial reaction was panic... The whole thing is still a blur. I don't remember having time to think about what was happening or what the outcome might be."Thankfully, Kevin made a full recovery, but the experience stayed with me and forced me to think seriously about my own health."‌James knew he had to make a change after feeling "awful" towards the end of the year. So when the new year came, he turned to EMDR therapy to help with his trauma.How a Family Health Emergency Sparked a Father's TransformationHe added: "I realised that neglecting my health didn't just affect me, it could also have a huge impact on my wife [Penney] and children. I made the promise to myself that I would do everything I could to avoid putting my family through something similar."My wife started looking at different weight loss options and found MAN v FAT. I'd loved football when I was younger, so it immediately appealed to me."‌James began by attending weekly weigh-ins with MAN v FAT, a football league exclusively for overweight men who want to lose weight, before turning to fitness coach Eric Roberts' podcasts to educate him on nutrition and fat loss.He made a few changes at the start, but nothing too extreme as he still enjoys his favourite foods – like burgers and pizzas – although in moderation.‌Next was weighing his portions and tracking his calories to which James added: "It helped me understand how much I was actually eating and where I could make better choices."As a chef, I'm surrounded by food every day, so having that awareness was helpful. The biggest change was learning I didn't need to be perfect. I needed to make sensible decisions consistently and find an approach that fitted around my work and family life."His fitness regime also consisted of MAN v FAT, then once he lost a significant amount of weight – he turned to strength training and joined Eric Roberts' coaching programme.‌Losing 4 Stone in 6 Months Without Giving Up Favourite FoodsAnd in just six months – he already lost over 25kg (nearly 4st).Now feeling "fitter and stronger than since his early twenties", James said the biggest difference is that exercise is no longer something he wants to avoid.Not only can he still eat burgers, pizzas and other foods he enjoys, the dad has also seen changes to his resting heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol.‌Discussing his new "happier and healthier" self, James admitted: "Now I can run around, play football, go on bike rides and be properly involved instead of watching from the side."Those might sound like ordinary things, but being able to say yes when my children want to do something active means a huge amount to me. I'm in the best physical shape I've been in since my late teens or early twenties.‌"The biggest achievement isn't any particular exercise, though. It's having the freedom and confidence to take part in an active family life without my health holding me back."My wife and children have noticed that I have more energy and that I'm much more present. My children also see me thinking carefully about what I eat and sometimes copy those habits."James shared his story as part of a Benenden Health's new campaign, The Wake-Up Call, which explores why so many men only take action after something significant happens.Article continues belowThe research among 2,000 UK men aged 35-55 found 62% have ignored symptoms or health concerns they were worried about, while 76% admit they prioritise the health of loved ones over their own.