Woodworker Ben Napier has had a total weight transformation, which was mostly inspired by his daughter Helen. With an aim to live longer to look after his kids, Erin’s husband went on a journey to have a healthier lifestyle.

With Erin there to support him along the way, Ben revealed in 2018 that his father had emergency bypass surgery one month before he turned 60. So when he brought his eldest into the world, everything changed for the HGTV co-host.

He wrote on Instagram: “Although I have made efforts to eat healthy and to exercise, it never seemed more real until I held this blue eyed girl that is equal parts Erin & me and a whole lot more than I deserve in my arms.”

Fast-forward four years to now, and Ben looks healthier than ever. Let’s look at his transformation to this day.

Ben Napier dropped 55 pounds

Ben, who is a tall 6 ft 6 (198 cm) compared to his wife Erin at 5 ft 5 (165 cm), revealed that it was during season 3 of Hometown when he began to lose weight. During that season, he dropped 35 pounds and went on to drop 55 in total.

His weight, which the couple also discussed in their book, Make Something Good Today, fluctuated within individual episodes, as some scenes had to be reshot due to logistics like weather as per Country Living.

The HGTV star started exercising quite regularly about eight years ago, but it was in 2018 when he realised just how important it was to look after his health and take it seriously. He wrote in his blog that year:

I try to make healthy decisions. I am, however, a man who struggles with my love for our southern cuisine, the meat and three, the red velvet cake, the pecan pie, the bacon and tomato sandwiches fresh from my father-in-law’s garden slathered in mayonnaise: all the reasons Mississippi is one of the most overweight states in the country.

He was a lean, athletic teenager growing up but admitted that he and his family would eat enough to feed an entire army each day. Looking back, Ben recalled: “We were all slim and trim, at the top of our physically fit game.”

The Hometown star inspired by Helen

When Ben’s first child Helen was born, he realised how important it is to ensure he lives long. He wrote:

Now that I’m a father, my health is even more important. I want to be there for every milestone in my daughter’s life and I want to hold Erin’s hand every step of the way. I never want to leave her side, which means taking care of my heart has to be a major priority.

During an interview with Country Living, Ben said that his maternal grandfather died of a stroke when his mom was just 17 years old, while his own father and grandfather both had open heart surgeries.

As part of Erin’s 30th birthday gift, he had calcium screening to check his heart health, which he passed and now checks more frequently. He exercises a minimum of three times a week and aims to eat healthy low-carb meals.

Now, the couple are parents to two children, including newborn Mae, who was born in mid 2021.

Ben’s health journey

Ben admitted that he often turned to food while doing his woodwork and has always grown up eating big amounts. He wrote on his blog that he is a “big man who comes from big people”, which is “something we pride ourselves on.”

I’m the second born of four boys. We grew up playing sports, working on farms, helping our dad work on cars, and eating enough food to feed an entire army daily. The four of us could go into an all-you-can-eat buffet with our dad and put a hurting on the restaurant’s bottom line.

He is an advocate for men moving their bodies, exercising more, and having their hearts checked regularly. Now he is down 55 pounds, Ben revealed he weighs 280 pounds, and has a retirement dream is to play Santa Claus at Christmas.

WATCH HOMETOWN TAKEOVER ON HGTV IN EARLY 2023

AND GET FREAKY WITH US ON INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7s7HApaCtsaSewaO102eaqKVfnbS1wo6bnKdlnpa9qrHRZqqasaNitaq%2FjJ2Yrp%2BYqbKzeceeo56mXayutHnMqKuirpGptrC6jJ%2Bmq2WUp7yxvMinnmZtZWK9sMHNnao%3D