Country star Colt Ford sheds 60 pounds, switches diet after heart attack left him in 8-day coma
The "Slow Ride" singer shared that he ditched certain food and drinks, including fried chicken and Mountain Dew, since his health crisis left him in an 8-day coma.
Ford explained that for his 55th birthday he turned down his wife's invitation to a famous dining establishment for the sake of his health.
"When I woke up, my wife Megan goes, 'I'll take you to Waffle House,'" he told People.
"And I said, 'Nah, I don't want to go.' That's when I knew I had won. I broke the habit."
Ford, who co-wrote fellow country star Jason Aldean's popular song "Dirt Road Anthem," and has collaborated with Toby Keith, described how his healthier lifestyle allowed him to shed 60 pounds.
"I'm wearing a 32-inch waist now instead of 44 — but I've told everybody there's much easier diets," Ford joked. "I'm looking at it as a blessing. I'm going to be healthier than I've ever been."
The pro golfer-turned-country star admitted that fried chicken and Mountain Dew were his go-to food choices and admitted he used to weigh 340 pounds at one point.
"I loved that stuff," he confessed. "I was a terrible eater."
Ford, who's currently 190 pounds, shared how he opted for healthier options at fast food restaurants.
"I've changed everything. If I go by Whataburger, I'll eat a grilled chicken sandwich. I don't do all the fries and stuff," he said. "McDonald's used to be my s--- and I loved it, but I haven't even craved it."
In 2022, the country star was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness, myasthenia gravis.
Last April, Ford said he "died twice" after he had a heart attack following his performance in Phoenix, Arizona.
He flatlined twice and underwent 10-hour surgery before being placed on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine for a week, Ford told People.
After being hospitalized and then going to rehab for two months, Ford called his experience "life-changing."
"My doctor said, 'I have no idea how you survived.'"
"God has more for me to do," Ford concluded. "For some reason he saw fit to give me another chance, so I intend to do something positive with it."
In May 2024, Ford detailed what he could remember from his heart attack during an interview on the "Big D & Bubba" show.
"I didn't even remember coming out here to do a show in Phoenix, and apparently we played this great, sold-out show, and it was incredible," Ford said in a phone interview at the time.
"I walked back to the bus, texted my fiancée, 'Hi baby,' and fell over dead. I died two times. Luckily, my band came out to check on me. … All of a sudden, that's when all hell broke loose."
Around the time of his health crisis, Ford played a show at Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row in Gilbert, Arizona, his representative said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital at the time. At one point, he was in "stable, but critical condition in the ICU."
He admitted that after texting his fiancée, "I don't remember anything."
Ford was told he was transferred to another hospital that could provide better care, and he "died on the way over" to that center, but medics "brought me back, saved my life."
"The Lord had more for me to do, more music for me to make, hopefully more differences to make in some people's lives," he remarked.
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