65-year-old New Zealand father who had “accepted his fate” after years of declining health has shed nearly 90 pounds with the help of his son, transforming not only his weight but his outlook on life.

For Niall Deehan, becoming inactive was not something that happened overnight.

He had once enjoyed an active lifestyle, but a mountain biking accident in 2012 changed that. The accident left him needing three surgeries on his arm, and his enthusiasm for biking gradually disappeared.

Niall Deehan at the hospital. (Courtesy of Kian Deehan)

“After that, I fell out of love with biking and swapped it for the TV remote,” Niall told Newsweek.

Over time, exercise became less familiar, while snacking became part of his daily routine. Niall said he could eat an entire packet of biscuits each day. Years of osteoarthritis and excess weight also began affecting his mobility.

At his heaviest, Niall weighed 288 pounds. He was prediabetic and taking medication every day.

“I accepted that I was a major risk of stroke or a heart attack,” he told Newsweek. “I was prediabetic and taking medication daily.”

Kian Deehan with his father, Niall. (Courtesy of Kian Deehan)

By then, he had stopped expecting things to get better.

“Over the years, I have given up on exercising,” he said. “I accepted my fate.”

Then, during a family trip to Sydney in August last year, Niall had a candid conversation with his 23-year-old son, Kian Deehan.

Kian was working as an online fitness coach and bodybuilding at the time. The conversation became a turning point for the father, who had spent years moving further away from the active life he once knew.

(Courtesy of Kian Deehan)

A month later, the two began working out together.

They started by training every Sunday. Kian also helped his father make changes to his eating habits, replacing the biscuits that had become a daily staple with healthier alternatives.

The workouts gave them something else, too: time together.

“We used to talk and train,” Kian told Newsweek.

As Niall began noticing changes, his commitment grew. What had started as a weekly session gradually developed into a much bigger part of his life. Resistance training eventually became nonnegotiable, with Niall training five to six times a week.

The physical changes followed.

Niall eventually reached 200 pounds and was able to stop taking his regular medication, apart from temporary medication following a recent knee replacement.

But the change his son noticed most was not physical.

“It is so good to see my dad is happy and feels excited again,” Kian told Newsweek. “He looks great, but the best part is his happiness.”

Niall also began documenting a very different relationship with food. Rather than treating his new habits as a temporary weight-loss plan, he adopted an approach he could continue long term.

Today, he doesn’t track his food. He focuses on whole foods and has cut junk completely out of his diet.

(Courtesy of Kian Deehan)

“It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change,” Niall said.

Kian followed his father’s progress throughout the journey, documenting the transformation and sharing it on Instagram (@kiandeehanfitness) when Niall reached his goal weight in May.

“At one point he was lighter than me!” Kian said.

For Kian, seeing his father become interested in his health again has been a source of pride.

“I am very proud. It’s incredible. My dad went from him not wanting to speak about health and fitness to becoming completely obsessed.”

(Courtesy of Kian Deehan)

For Niall, the transformation has given him something that cannot be measured in pounds.

“I feel 20 years younger,” he said.

Once, he believed his declining health was simply his fate. A conversation with his son gave him a reason to reconsider that belief.

What followed was not a quick fix, but a series of small changes that eventually became a new way of living.

And somewhere along the way, Niall didn’t just change his body. He found his enthusiasm for life again.

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