Colt Ford says his near-fatal heart attack last April helped kickstart a weight loss journey that’s now trimmed him down by 60 lbs.
The singer tells People that he sees his health crisis as an opportunity to make a major lifestyle change.
“I’m looking at it as a blessing,” Ford explains. “I’m going to be healthier than I’ve ever been.”
Leading up to his heart attack, the singer says that he was a “terrible eater” and that Mountain Dew and fried chicken made up a big portion of his diet. He started making changes in 2022 after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis, and by the time his heart attack struck, he’d gone from 340 lbs to 250 lbs.
“I was working on losing weight and feeling great. Then all of a sudden …” he recounts.
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Ford had just played a show in Arizona on April 4, 2024 when he collapsed on his bus and was rushed to a local hospital. In his first post-attack interview, the singer said he flat-lined twice and had to be moved to a larger hospital that had the facilities and medical equipment he needed to recover.
He also said his friend Brantley Gilbert was there the whole time, making sure he got to medical care quickly and pushing doctors to transfer him to the hospital that could save his life.
“It was life-changing,” Ford now tells People. “My doctor said, ‘I have no idea how you survived.'”
Though he’d already been steadily losing weight, the singer says he made major lifestyle changes when he came home from the hospital. He gave up much of the fast food that was formerly among his favorite meals.
“I’ve changed everything. If I go by a Whataburger, I’ll eat a grilled chicken sandwich,” he says. “I don’t do all the fries and stuff … McDonald’s used to be my s–t, and I loved it but I haven’t even craved it.”
He says he also regularly uses a treadmill his wife Megan bought him, and that sometimes, he puts on TV and doesn’t even realize he’s walked eight miles.
When Ford celebrated his 55th birthday last August, he knew he’d made a lasting change when he didn’t even crave a special treat.
“When I woke up, my wife Megan goes, ‘I’ll take you to Waffle House.’ and I said, ‘Nah, I don’t want to go.’ That’s when I knew I had won,” he recounts. “I broke the habit.”
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Now, Ford is getting back to business as a musician. He’s planning a tour for 2025, and on Wednesday (Feb. 5), he revealed plans to release a new song with Michael Ray called “Hell Out of It.”
He tells People that the song was written pre-heart attack, but it’s even more special now.
“It has a whole different meaning,” he says. “I’m going to be down here just living and loving the hell out of it. Just everything I do.”
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes