“Mini heart attack opened his eyes”: How one magical salad helped this 163 kg man lose 60 kgs; check his weight loss journey

According to the New York Post, a man from Rhode Island claims he lost 132 pounds, attributing his weight loss to eating a Chick-fil-A Spicy Southwest Salad for lunch every day.

Tom Carroll, a 6'2" digital content producer at a Boston radio station, started his weight loss journey in July 2023. The wake-up call came at a wedding in Syracuse, where he was stunned to see the scale show 360 pounds (163 kg).

"I had never seen it so high," Carroll shared in his essay titled "Chick-fil-A Saved My Life." But if I'm being honest, it had likely been even higher at times that summer. I wouldn't have known though-this was the first time I'd weighed myself since fall 2019."

Carroll who is 34 years of age recalled the last time he weighed himself was years ago during a doctor’s appointment, when a nurse made a remark about his weight.

"She told me I was 346 pounds," he wrote. "'That's good eatin'!' I joked. 'Until it ain't,' she shot back." "I didn't ask her to explain," he admitted. "I basically died inside the moment she said it."

Wake-up call
Following that awkward experience, Carroll steered clear of doctor visits and made attempts to improve his diet. However, his real turning point came on Black Friday 2023, when he experienced what he described as a near-heart attack while eating Thanksgiving leftovers with his wife and friends.

According to Today, Carroll’s go-to lunch was a Chick-fil-A salad made with mixed greens, tomatoes, roasted corn, black beans, chiles, red bell peppers, cheese, grilled chicken, and topped with tortilla strips, pepitas, and creamy salsa dressing—totaling about 680 calories.

“I was miserable before I changed my eating habits,” Carroll shared. “Climbing stairs was tough, airplane seat belts were a challenge, and finding clothes that fit made dressing up frustrating.” He frequently made the salad at home for dinner and even stocked up on extras ahead of Sundays when Chick-fil-A is closed. “It became my daily go-to meal—and I attribute much of my progress to it,” he said.

Carroll kept his other meals light typically having yogurt and fruit for breakfast, if he didn’t skip it. In addition to changing his diet, he started exercising consistently and eliminated soda, sports drinks, and alcohol, which he said contributed extra calories and often triggered poor food decisions.

By December 2023, Carroll’s weight had fallen below 300 pounds. By July 2024, he had reached 228 pounds and has successfully maintained that weight since.