'Nothing can prepare you': Karl Stefanovic details health scare behind 15kg weight loss

Karl Stefanovic has shared the deeply personal reason behind his recent 15 kilogram weight loss – his youngest daughter, Harper.

The 51-year-old Today host and father of four opened up his health journey and the scare that motivated it all on his podcast on The Karl Stefanovic Show.

"I've got a five-year-old daughter, she turns six in a couple of days," the star said in a chat with men's health expert Dr Alex Tatum.

Watch the video above.

"I was on a one-way ticket to a heart attack. I'm telling you right now."

Stefanovic revealed that two years ago, at age 49, he was at his heaviest. He decided to seek his doctor's help.

"I was really, really overweight, like 15 kilos heavier than I am now," he confessed, saying it not only affected his physical health but his mental health too.

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"I went to the doctor, and the doctor said, you know... essentially you're unhealthy," he added.

"I was always physically active, but I just couldn't budge this weight. I couldn't budge it."

Instead, he felt like he was "aging disgracefully".

Fronting a national breakfast program every morning, he became his own worst critic.

"I was racking my brain and my self-confidence suffered. And I think a lot of guys go through that," he admitted.

"There's shots of me coming out of the surf, it's like f--king help, get your s--t together man," he laughed.

Motivated to be the best version of himself for his wife and kids, the host went on weight loss medication to "kickstart" his weight loss journey.

He admitted, now that's he's got the ball rolling, he doesn't want to stop.

"I don't want to stop on this train, on this health train, cutting back on alcohol, watching what I eat," he said on his podcast.

"I'm hitting the gym two or three times a week. I'm going for walks. It's changed my life!"

The star can see the results too, as he spoke about his latest podcast episode in an Instagram post.

"There's nothing that can prepare you for looking in the mirror at 50 years of age and going actually, you know what, you look good now and you feel good from the inside out."

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