Man who weighed 49st and wore 72-inch-waist trousers loses 32 stone after doctor’s stark warning

A father who lost 32st after being cautioned that his size endangered his life during open-heart surgery now believes he has the "best chance" of staying with his family.

Standing 6ft 8in tall, 46-year-old maintenance business owner Mark Bailey, from Stockton, Warwickshire, was nicknamed Tiny and was a "big lad" from a young age. Having been "on the heavier side" since childhood, he hit a peak weight of 48st 9lbs (309kg) aged 39, requiring 7XL tops and 72-inch waist trousers.

His weight soared after years of consuming 7,500 calories daily, including pasties and Mars bars for breakfast, McDonald’s lunches, kebabs for dinner, and unmonitored beer consumption.

A heart murmur diagnosis in October 2021 prompted the need for open-heart surgery, serving as a "wake-up call" to "be around" for his wife, Nicola Bailey, and their children, Kyla, 26, Byron, 23, and Kyson, 17.

Declining GLP-1 medication and weight loss surgery, he lost 28st (177kg) across four years through lifestyle changes ahead of his October 2025 operation. Following a successful procedure, he shed an additional 4st (25kg) and recently finished a 5km challenge for the Rugby Cardiac Rehabilitation team.

Tiny told PA Real Life: “When I had a chat with the cardiologist … she said if I had open-heart surgery at the weight I was, the chances of me coming off that operating table were very, very slim.

“I knew I got myself in this position, so I could get myself out of it.

“It’s frightening, but you can have such a good life afterwards and I’m already proving that now.”

Tiny said he got his “ironic” nickname of Tiny aged 10 because he has “always stood out in a crowd” for his height and weight.

“I’ve always been a food lover and it just escalated,” he said.

“I just never limited myself to anything, so I had what I wanted when I wanted it.”

On an average day, Tiny said he consumed around 7,500 calories, starting with a full English breakfast of five sausages, five rashers of bacon, five hash browns and five eggs, before having a packet of crisps, a soft drink and chocolate bars as a mid-morning snack.

For lunch, he tended to have McDonald’s, with his order consisting of a double quarter pounder, two double cheeseburgers, fries, mozzarella sticks and a large milkshake.

His dinner was often an extra large doner kebab with cheesy chips and garlic bread, and he always finished the night with a packet of biscuits.

Tiny has had health complications over the years, including being diagnosed with the thyroid immune condition Graves’ disease at age 34, as well as sore knees, gallbladder issues and shoulder pain.

As a result, he tried “a few” ways to lose weight, including the carnivore diet, which is based mainly on eating meat and other animal products, and Slimming World, with some success.

But after being diagnosed with a heart murmur in October 2021, he was told he needed open-heart surgery and that his weight would pose additional risks.

Tiny said he was offered bariatric surgery to shrink his stomach and weight-loss jabs but declined both, as he did not want any further medical interventions.

Instead, Tiny “did a lot of research” and implemented a calorie deficit, cutting out biscuits and chocolate bars, and started going to the gym twice a week.

Within two years, he lost 18st (114kg) but said he still felt mentally and emotionally “rubbish” because he was experiencing breathlessness and “horrible palpitations” because of his failing heart health.

A routine scan in September 2025 confirmed his valve got worse so they could not put off the open-heart surgery any longer.

“The surgeon actually said my valve didn’t have six weeks left in it, so he agreed to cut short his holiday for me to get me fixed up,” Tiny said.

On October 15, Tiny had the seven-hour surgery at University Hospital Coventry. He said his recovery was “really quite fast” and he was discharged after eight days.

Tiny started at the Cardiac Rehabilitation Service in Rugby for eight weeks from December, across 16 “very steady” and supervised sessions.

“The surgeon did a fantastic job and the nurses at Coventry Hospital were absolutely brilliant,” Tiny said.

“But Rugby Cardiac Rehabilitation went above and beyond.

“They gave me the confidence to know what my heart can and can’t take and how far I can push myself.”

As a way to say thank you to his rehabilitation team, Tiny completed the 5km Autumn Wolf wild muddy obstacle run – an off-road course through obstacles, mud and water – on September 11 this year.

Tiny said: “I absolutely loved it … and it was my own personal challenge to see how well this heart works.

“I was jumping off bridges, climbing up riverbanks, running through fields, rope climbing, climbing walls – all stuff that I never thought I’d be able to do again.

“But I’ve proven that I can do it and I really enjoyed it.”

Tiny now weighs 16st 11lbs (106kg), wearing a size large and 38in waist trousers, and has even lost two shoe sizes, going from a 15 to a 13.

Some people have jokingly started calling him Biggie, instead of his “less ironic” nickname Tiny, but he said it still works for his height.

Tiny’s average daily meals now consist of a shot of turmeric, ginger, cayenne pepper and apple cider vinegar first thing in the morning before a gym workout, high protein foods, as well as fresh fruit, vegetables and water throughout the day.

He wanted to thank his wife Nicola in particular, who he said has been his “rock” throughout, and he is thankful he can enjoy a future getting to know his 18-month-old granddaughter, Ellena.

“I love going to the gym or for a run with my wife and I enjoy the foods I eat,” Tiny said.

“I’ve given myself the best chance in life now and I’ve gone out my way to improve everything and make sure that I’m around for my kids and my wife.”

Looking back on his progress, he said: “I made a mistake by letting myself go by eating rubbish.

“It’s the same as having a car – if you put decent fuel in, it’ll last you a lifetime.”

Entries for the 2027 Wolf Run season are now on sale. For more information, visit: thewolfrun.com.

To donate to Tiny’s fundraiser, visit: gofundme.com/f/from-open-heart-surgery-to-the-wolf-run.