Chef Robert Hesse, who appeared on “Hell’s Kitchen,” is a quarter of the man he used to be after losing a whopping 455 pounds – and likely saving his life in the process!
Robert once tipped the scales at 610 pounds, but is now down to a svelte 155, thanks to gastric bypass surgery, healthy eating and exercise.
Talk about taking a load off! Heart problems forced Robert, 37, to withdraw from Gordon Ramsay’s popular Fox reality series in 2009, after appearing on seasons five and six.
“When I was younger, I was a heroin addict for 15 years, a thief, and even spent time in jail,” the New Yorker told The National ENQUIRER exclusively. “I then traded one addiction – drugs – for another: food! Soon I ballooned to the size of a baby whale. By the time I was 34, I had suffered three heart attacks!” he said.
“My last heart attack, in 2013, happened in front of my then 2-year-old son, Ayden. And to top it off, I almost fell on top of him, which could have crushed him!”
Robert said he finally realized he needed help, and underwent a life-saving gastric bypass surgery in 2014.
“I’m down to 155 pounds and have never felt better,” he said.
Robert now works as a corporate executive chef on the East Coast and makes time to exercise at least five days a week.
“I would love to be on (‘Hell’s Kitchen’) one last time, to show Gordon what I’m made of. The last time I was on, he told me to get healthy,” Robert explained. “It would be closure for me and all of the people who have been rooting for me.”
