A list of 20 things to do before hitting 30 gave Houghton Regis man Andy Conroy a weighty problem.

For at 18st 11lbs, the 29-year-old could not tick a skydive off his list unless he sent the pointer on his bathroom scales plummeting downwards first.

Andy, of Chelsea Gardens, who is 5ft 10ins, would have to shed 3st to drop down to the maximum weight limit for the high-flying challenge.

It might have seemed like a slim chance - but now Andy has lost an amazing 5st, and has finally fulfilled his skydive dream.

And he is on Cloud Nine after his sponsored tandem skydive helped others, too, by raising £200 for Keech Hospice Care, to go to the children's facility.

He said: "It was the first time I'd done a skydive, I'd always been too heavy before. I wanted to get this in before I turned 30!

"It was really exhilarating, it was amazing. I'd recommend it to anybody - now I've landed safely!"

Andy, who will be 30 on October 24, was inspired by The Bucket List, a film in which two men draw up wish-lists of things they would like to do before they die.

It was not quite that dramatic in Andy's case - he just wanted to complete 20 personal challenges before his big birthday.

Now he has ticked off almost everything on the list.

It all started as fun, but turned into a life-changing experience after Andy achieved his spectacular weight loss.

He took part in the LighterLife weight loss programme, which involves "nutritionally complete" soups, shakes and bars, along with counselling to help people to keep their weight under control.

He saw his GP before joining a group, and he was supported in his weight loss efforts by counsellor Helen Graham, and family and friends.

An added incentive for Andy to lose weight was that it would also lighten the load on a troublesome knee.

His waist shrunk from 44ins to 34ins after shedding the excess stones between February and June this year.

He said: "I feel fantastic. My knee feels great, I'm energetic and enthusiastic, and I feel more confident - it's a new lease of life."

Now he has been so inspired that he has just become a Dunstable and Houghton Regis LighterLife counsellor himself.

Andy's office is in High Street North, Dunstable, and he can be contacted on 01582 667870, email andy.conroy@lighterlifecounsellor.com.