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'Saved my life': Cricket great's staggering body transformation

Pictured here, the dramatic body transformation of cricket legend Greg Ritchie.
Greg Ritchie lost a whopping 36kg after being warned about the health risks of his weight. Pic: Lifeshape Clinic

Australian Test cricket legend Greg Ritchie says the extraordinary body transformation he's undergone, effectively saved his life.

Ritchie used to go by the nickname, Fat Cat, but after details of his dramatic weight loss have been revealed, it's fair to say he's done enough to shake off the tag.

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The 60-year-old former batsman used to weigh 133kg but has shed an astonishing 36kg in a move that he says has been a lifesaver.

He was told that he ran the risk of dying if he didn't do something about his weight so Ritchie set about losing the excess kilos.

“I wanted to keep waking up in the morning and they said if I didn’t lose any weight I’d probably end up looking at the inside of a box and that wasn’t a great alternative,” Ritchie told Sky Sports Radio.

“I was advised to go and see a medical clinic in Brisbane called the LifeShape clinic … the only medically supervised weight loss clinic in Brisbane, April 1 last year.

“Fourteen months later I got 36kg off.

“(I undertook a) Food replacement program for really 12 months and a re-education of how to eat, (addressing) the psychological problems that I might have had that were making me eat, an exercise program.

“And the most important thing is the discipline that goes with it. I had to report every week – when I say report in, I went and spoke to my clinician every week and we diarised all the progress so it’s been a fantastic journey.

“It’s saved my life.”

A big part of Ritchie's weight loss has been centred around regular exercise and a cutting down on the booze.

He says he's only had a hand-full of beers in 14 months and instead opts for the occasional scotch or glass of red wine.

Ritchie laments feud between Warne and Waugh

Ritchie also took the time on the radio program to address the ugly feud between fellow Aussie cricket greats Shane Warne and Steve Waugh that has resurfaced recently.

Warne reignited the bad blood between the pair when he shared a video of the 104 run-outs Waugh was directly involved in over his career - to highlight his long-standing opinion that the former Aussie skipper was a selfish player.

Ritchie said while he was reluctant to get involved, he questioned why the feud needed to be played out in public in the first place.

“I don’t like to see cricketers have feuds,” Ritchie said.

“It’s none of my business what Warnie thinks of Steve Waugh but is there a need to air all of that publicly? I don’t think so.

Seen here, Aussie cricket legends Shane Warne and Steve Waugh.
Shane Warne and Steve Waugh celebrate a wicket during a one-day international at the MCG. (Image: Nick Wilson/Getty Images)

“I don’t think you win any favours by belting up Steve Waugh, who was one of our best ever.

“I can’t see the point of it. They were two great cricketers.

“We don’t need to be doing that. Two great Australian cricketers, we don’t need to be seeing that in the press.”