A MAN whose eight-bottle-a-day Lucozade habit nearly killed him has finally kicked his 30-year addiction and lost two stone in the process.
Garry Johnson, from Basildon, suffered a stroke, had to have an electrical heart device fitted, and went temporarily blind in one eye.
Doctors told the 66-year-old he'd need to quit his £150 a month habit to save his heart from further damage – but Garry said that was harder than ditching class A drugs.
The retired decorator and self-proclaimed “Lucozade man” finally managed it through sheer determination and has lost more than two stone since December.
The grandfather-of-two said: “When I went to get my heart device fitted, the nurses and doctors weren't impressed with me.
“I cut out alcohol, fatty food and dairy but kept drinking the Lucozade - they told me I was scoring own goals.”
He started cutting down to one bottle a fortnight in December but went cold turkey six weeks ago.
“I feel the improvement in my body, I feel lighter on my feet, and I can play with my grandkids without getting tired,” he said.
Garry started drinking coffee when he was 12 and loved the caffeine buzz. He then dabbled with drugs in his teens and twenties.
But after his first son was born in 1992 he moved onto energy drinks to keep him energised - his favourite being Lucozade Original.
Until last year, he swore he'd never give it up despite having three heart attacks between 2012 and 2014.
But he ended up in Basildon Hospital last year after losing vision in one eye and getting pains in his neck and chest down one side.
Calling it a ‘mini stroke’, doctors warned him his veins were narrowing due to how much sugar he was consuming.
Luckily Garry's vision returned and he stabilised, but medics warned without his medications, it could have been far more serious.
He’s feeling the effects of kicking the sugary habit and has shed nearly 2.5 stone.
The dad-of-three said: “I've saved so much money too. I've spent it buying presents for my grandchildren.”
“I do get cravings still but they don't get the better of me,” he added. “And I've stopped for long enough now that I don't think I'll ever go back.”
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