Rhode Island man Tom Carroll is crediting Chick-fil-A for saving his life after he ate the restaurant's salads nearly every day for a year, helping him lose 132 pounds.
Carroll said he went from weighing 360 pounds to 228 pounds, having a Spicy Southwest Salad nearly every day since November 2023. He also cut his beer consumption and signed up for the gym, but Carroll gives most of the credit to his new-found love for the Chick-fil-A salad.
"Chick-fil-A saved my life, and I can’t wait to be a loyal customer for many years to come. I know this diet works for me, and I can’t wait to keep it rolling as the years unfold," he said on a post online.
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He told WBZ-TV in Boston that he "liked being the big guy that had a good time, that could go out aned eat pizza whenever, and go have a beer and not think about it."
Carroll explained that he did not go to the doctor for several years and when he finally did, he found out he weighed 360 pounds. He started to lose weight and by that December, his weight had dropped to below 300 pounds.
But even losing over 60 pounds wasn't enough to reverse years of poor habits. Doctors said in December 2023 that he had suffered a "cardiac event" and he would need to get his high blood pressure addressed.
"It was in that moment where my anguish shifted to empowerment," he said. "A few weeks prior, I had made a decision to change my life by eating a Chick-fil-A salad every day, and I could tangibly see the results."
Carroll said by July 2024, he had lost over 130 pounds, but was apprehensive about sharing his story. It wasn't until the one-year anniversary of his emergency room visit that he felt comfortable enough to explain what took place.
"Given everything that had led me to that moment, I felt like I could help the next version of me avoid the type of mess I went through to get to where I was at 228 pounds," he said. "I knew there were plenty of other guys just like me - big dudes who loved having a good time, where eating and drinking was central to making sure everyone in the crew was enjoying themselves no matter the situation. I knew I wasn’t unique in that regard."
