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We call them Amazing Losers, but you might know them as weight loss before and after stories. They’re motivating, honest, and there’s not a magic pill in sight.
Celebrate International Diabetes Day With 120lb Amazing Loser Julian Porter
- Name: Julian Porter (ask him anything on Talk)
- Height: 5’8″ (172 cm)
- Job: Photographer at www.julianporter.com
- Age: 53
- Location: Southampton
- Highest weight: 260 lbs (118 kg)
- Lowest weight: 148 lbs (67 kg)
So what did you know about diabetes before you got your diagnosis?
I didn’t know a lot about it. I was the same as most people, I just thought it was one of those illnesses where you have to take a few tablets and you’ll be fine. Just before I had my diagnosis though I did a portrait shoot with a guy for www.diabetes.co.uk and, sadly, he’d lost his leg because of complications around diabetes. That was the thing for me. It shocked me that you could have these side effects. Then just after that I was sat in my doctor’s surgery being told that I was Type 2 Diabetic. I’ll be honest – it really frightened me.
Let’s skip back a little bit, what had led to you being overweight?
I think it was wedding food if I’m honest! It’s not the same story for everyone but with the business we’d go to weddings a couple of times every week and we’d just eat and eat and eat all day long. As soon as you start in on the canapes and cake, you can’t stop. What I’ve seen is that if you’re in the mindset of bingeing – regardless of whether it’s Christmas or a birthday – then you want it the next day as well. It becomes the norm. So we’d do weddings on a Friday and a Saturday and then on Sunday we’d be knackered and we’d eat junk food then as well.
So when you were diagnosed did you get support to help you lose the weight?
We were referred to a diabetes clinic and they talked to us there about different tips and advice about losing weight. I’m very lucky because my diabetes nurse lives opposite us and she was brilliant. However, at the clinic they started talking about eating high fat food and not low fat yoghurts and that sort of thing. That completely baffled me because I thought it was all the other way! As you do I came home and did some research and found a website where I could track my food and used it as a food diary. So I logged my calories and put everything into that diary (if you’d like a premium tracking experience for free then sign up for a MVFIA group on TALK).
The other big change was that from that day to this me and my wife Sue cook everything from scratch, so we know exactly what’s in it. I didn’t cut anything out, I still have a cake when I’m out and about on the bike but it’s the frequency that’s changed. Before I’d think nothing of coming home from work and getting a four pack of beer and a couple of cakes. Now that’s the sort of thing on a special occasion.
What else did you change? I believe you got into your exercise as well?
I realised that I had to get more active and that was something that the diabetes nurses told us too. So I made a plan to walk five miles a day. But when I first started walking I was very conscious of myself. I could see that there were all these guys out there and we were wearing the same gear, we all had the same trainers and tracksuits on but they were running. They looked the part and I just felt like this big, fat floppy thing. To get around that I bought a treadmill so that I could walk any time I wanted and not feel out of place.
I was determined not to let a lack of confidence beat me. At first it was really tough. I’d walk but I would be puffed out most of the time. I was thinking, I walk all day long, why is this puffing me out? But it was because I was doing it faster and really putting effort into it. I wasn’t power walking as such but it was walking with intensity. For anyone who’s considering it then I’ll tell you the good news is that it became easier very quickly. After a month I’d say I was walking a lot faster and feeling good about it, the speed had picked up and I started to feel a bit more normal doing it!
You’re being modest because you went on further than that…
Well I started to get into running from there and I joined a site called www.runcamp.co.uk, which really helped me with my training. I started to run lots of races and in 2014 I decided to run my first marathon, which I completed in 3 hours 27 minutes well under my goal!
That’s incredible! What a difference losing half your body weight makes! What tip would you give to other guys who want to lose weight?
One of the things that my diabetes nurse said to me is that often when we eat it’s because we’re thirsty so she said to make sure I had a pint of water at all times and to keep drinking from that. I’ve got one in front of me now! For me that dealt with things where I was eating because I was bored or I was frustrated about something, or I was just thirsty! That was a saviour for me, I’d definitely suggest anyone can try that – it’s free too!
Presumably you’ve cracked how to survive social occasions without letting the food choices go to pot?
Yes, for me there are a few keys. For instance at weddings we cover now I take all my own food. I no longer rely on the venue to provide something that’s healthy. You obviously can’t do that if you’re going out for a meal, but you can if you’re out for the day. It puts things back within your control. If it’s a nice occasion then I’ll make sure that I take a lot of food too. I don’t know about anyone else but I hate it when I’m around someone who’s eating nice things and I’m having to hold back. So we’ll take some nice grilled chicken breasts with different flavourings and I’ll have them in some Tupperware in the car. That makes me feel like I’m not missing out because I’m not hungry. I’m also a firm believer that you shouldn’t try a little bit and then stop. Once you’ve had one canape you’ve had 30!
So you lost this incredible eight stone in less than a year – what did that do to your diabetes?
They don’t say that you’re cured, what they say is that you’ve reversed it. Basically, I’m no longer diabetic! To be honest the day that I heard that news was one of the greatest moments of my life so far. The reaction of the nurse and the doctor was hilarious. After the initial diagnosis I had blood tests every two or three months and it came time for me to have the big test (read more about diabetes testing here) and they did the tests and I went back for the results and my doctor said, “Look Jules, we’re really sorry we know it’s a pain doing these tests but the results are faulty so we need you to do it again.”
I said, fair enough and we did it again. Same thing next time, “Really sorry the results are faulty, we need to do it again!” I wasn’t happy but I did it again. The third time and the doctor says again that it’s faulty – and I asked what was wrong with it and he said that it’s because they can’t find any trace of diabetes and that my blood results are better than his. I said, “No, that’s right – that’s what walking and sorting your diet out will do for you!” They were in awe of it. The doctor loves me now, he tells me all the time that I saved the NHS thousands!
Other readers may be worried about diabetes, or they may have been diagnosed. What would you tell them?
This is beatable. You don’t need to lose eight stone like I did, or take up marathons. None of that. You just need to concentrate on what you’re eating, how you’re eating it and move more. My diabetes was gone before I started running. We can all spare some time to look at what we’re eating and make improvements and to move more, it doesn’t matter how busy you are. I can’t tell you how nice it is to buy nice clothes that fit me well, it’s so cool to go into any shop and pick up a medium top and know that I will look cool. Four years ago that was XXXL and I felt terrible – you can make that change too.
As with all our Amazing Losers and their weight loss before and after stories, you can find Julian on Talk, where he is happy to chat through anything you’d like to know. It’s all free and it makes up the world’s biggest social network of men who want to get and give support around weight loss.
International Diabetes Day is on Saturday 14th November. If you want to make a change to your life right now – then simply sign up for one of our free 30 day online weight programmes, the only thing you’ve got to lose is fat…
From Sleep Apnoea To Slim: Tim Powell’s #AmazingLoser Story
- Name: Tim Powell (ask him anything on Talk)
- Height: 6’1″ (185.4 cm)
- Job: Software Project Manager
- Age: 50
- Location: Utah
- Highest weight: 295 lbs (133.8 kg)
- Lowest weight: 212 lbs (96.1 kg)
One aspect of your story that I love is that you did a cost comparison between being overweight and losing weight and decided that being fit and healthy made financial sense!
I wanted to lose weight and a friend recommended I go along to a place near me called Total Health and Fitness. It employed dietitians, nutrition experts and personal trainers and I decided to go in for a free consultation. They required at least a three month commitment with weekly visits, but in return they would teach and educate me on how to eat, exercise and lose weight in a safe, healthy and maintainable manner. While there was a cost involved for their services, the cost was similar to the price of the sleep apnoea equipment rental that I was going to have to start using. When I weighed the future costs of paying the costs of medical treatments and medication, the decision became easy. Plus having to pay added an extra measure of accountability – I wasn’t going to make a bad investment!
Let’s rewind a bit because I want to focus on where your weight came on – what was the cause with you?
I have a mostly sedentary desk job, so I get little exercise during the day. On top of that, my company caters lunch every day. The foods that were provided were like large vats of lasagna swimming in cheese and grease, chicken cordon bleu, beef stroganoff and that sort of thing. Plus there were snacks, treats and desserts like chips, chocolate bars, éclairs, cake and brownies. I would tend to graze on food constantly, and it didn’t stop when I got home. We frequently had fast food, pizza and ice cream. I wound up weighing 295 pounds when I was 48.
I love The List that you made. We’ve had a go at summarising all the bad things around being an overweight guy but I think you managed to create a list longer than ours on your own! Let’s hear it then – what are the worst things about being overweight according to Tim Powell?
Ok, I might risk being accused of being long-winded, but this is the complete list I made:
• Not being able to see my feet! My belly was so large that when I looked down, I couldn’t see my feet. Or for that matter, my weight on the bathroom scale.
• Heartburn. Eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted sounds fun on the surface but it came with a price. I had to take a heartburn pill every night to stave off heartburn and reflux, and that didn’t always work.
• Weak legs. I remember every time I got out of the car having to plant my leg firmly on the ground in order to support my weight as I got out. If I didn’t do it just right, I would feel slight twinges of pain and weakness.
• Not being able to wear t-shirts or polos. I know plenty of overweight people wear t-shirts and polo shirts, but in my opinion they don’t look good. They make you look fat because you are fat, and they just aren’t as flattering as cotton shirts. So cotton it was, day in and day out for 20 years.
• Breathing hard and feeling winded. We have a two story house, and just walking up the stairs would make me huff and puff. Any significant activity really wore me out.
• High blood pressure. My blood pressure was high and I was taking two medications to control it. After a couple of months of exercise and eating right, I was able to drop them. While they might have helped keep my blood pressure down, they caused me to have brain fog.
• High cholesterol. I had high cholesterol due to my poor eating habits, and was taking medication which yet again had adverse side effects.
• Sleep Apnoea/snoring. I had just been diagnosed with sleep apnoea, and my wife said I was a severe snorer.
• Feeling self conscious. I felt self conscious about my weight. Actually, I was a bit in denial until I caught glimpses of myself in mirrors or photos and realised how bad my problem was. I really don’t judge other people who are overweight. The most I feel is a bit sorry for them, since I now know what they are missing in life.
• Lack of activity. I didn’t swim, I didn’t play with my kids, I didn’t bike, I didn’t swim, I didn’t go on hikes. I was pretty sedentary. I would come home from a desk job at work exhausted and tired, have dinner, sit on the couch and fall asleep. Now my wife might say that I still do that on occasion, but I do feel a lot more energy in general and am adjusting to a more active life.
• Not fitting. I remember being extremely uncomfortable on planes, spilling a bit over my seat and almost to the point where I needed an extender.
• Short ties. I know this sounds funny, but when you’re fat, your tie has a longer way to go to meet your belt buckle! I would have to tie my ties almost to the end to get them to the normal length, and the short part behind couldn’t be tucked into the tie itself because it was too short.
• Rubbing thighs. The inside of my legs rubbed together a log when I walked, and caused chafing and soreness.
• Ballooning clothes. Because I was a bit in denial, I chose not to go to larger sized clothes, instead feeling incredibly uncomfortable and tight in the clothes that I had. I had to buy a size 56 suit for my daughter’s wedding in May of 2013 because I wanted to be comfortable. It was depressing, because I went to Macy’s and they didn’t have a single suit in the entire store that fit me – that had never happened to me before. I had to go to a specialty big and tall store. I also wanted to not appear as fat as I was, so I bought one of those slimming T-shirts to shape my upper body a bit better. I tried it out for a day before the wedding and was so uncomfortable I just made do. I also found that my cotton work shirts were starting to rip quite often, very puzzling, I thought!
• Wearing a bath towel. This sounds funny, but it bugged me that I couldn’t actually fit a bath towel around my waist. I had to wear a huge, hot, uncomfortable robe getting ready every morning.
• My wedding ring. My wedding ring was wedged into my finger it looked like a hoop that a tree grew around over the years. Now it slips off with ease and doesn’t pain me. Not that I want to slip it off!
• Hygiene. Ok, I’ve always been a clean guy, shower every day and very hygienic. But I’m sorry, when you’re that fat it gets hard if not impossible to reach certain places to clean. I know, TMI.
• Not caring about myself. It’s strange, but since I wasn’t eating right or exercising, I didn’t care much about my clothes, my hair, my teeth, my skin or my general appearance. A general lack of concern about my body, inside and out.
So you had your motivation and you had recruited experts to help, how did it go?
They monitored my progress, helped me plan food menus and exercise plans. I supplied the determination, they supplied the planning and education. I was able to consistently lose about 2 pounds per week over an 8 month period and lost a total of 75 pounds. To sum up the approach I tried to eat more vegetables, lean meats, and less sugar and processed foods. I had a specific caloric target each day (about 2200 – work out your daily calorie targets here) and some macronutrient ratios I tried to hit.
I think for everyone else, it seemed like my journey was smooth and the weight came off easily. For me, it felt like I had to fight for every pound and really learn a lot of discipline, especially in eating. Even though two pounds a week sounds fast and healthy, which it is, when you have 75 pounds to lose the journey seems long. I had to think of a lot of ways to keep myself motivated along the way.
I really love the “Fortress of Fitness” idea that you created – can you tell us about it and how our readers can use the same idea?
As I was losing weight I created what I called a “Fortress of Fitness” around myself to ensure that I wouldn’t be a statistic and gain the weight back. I rejected the concept of “forbidden foods” so I wouldn’t feel deprived, incorporating a cheat meal each week. I let everyone around me know that I was committed to living a healthy lifestyle so that I would feel more pressure to reach my goals. As I grew smaller, I got rid of larger clothes so that it would be unaffordable to regain the weight.
I also became a fitness enthusiast, listening to health and fitness podcasts every day and reading a lot of information on web sites. I became a fitness blogger (check out my blog here https://www.shrinkinguy.com), sharing my journey and lessons learned with others who needed help. I tracked my progress religiously – I even superimposed photos of myself taken each month so that I could see signs of change. I joined the 52 Day Challenge on the Men’s Health web site and volunteered to be a host. These and several other strategies I adopted to make it easier to keep off the weight than to gain it back.
Along with building their own Fortress of Fitness what other pieces of advice do you have for men who want to lose weight?
Everyone’s journey is different, and it’s hard to know what might help someone else commit to better health, but I would suggest:
1. Find your motivation. What drives you? To achieve better health? To be there for your children and family? To prepare for a wedding? Take some time to really understand the reasons why you want to get into better shape. These will help motivate you during your journey. I would suggest that doing it to please someone else won’t really help you through the tough, long process of losing weight.
2. Educate yourself and create a plan. It doesn’t help to just wake up one day and say “I’m going to lose weight.” Before you do anything, you need to figure out how you intend to do it. Are you going to adopt a specific diet? Are you going to exercise? What is your specific goal? How long is reasonable to achieve it? You really need a plan for success, otherwise you’re just planning to fail.
3. Incorporate strength training. It doesn’t have to be right off – if you’re severely overweight, start with some simple cardio like walking. But quickly try to incorporate some simple weightlifting into your exercise routine as soon as possible. Why? More muscle burns more calories, and you’ll burn calories throughout the day, not just during exercise. Your body will have more tone, and at least for me it helped ensure that my skin kept up with my weightloss.
As with all our Amazing Losers and their weight loss before and after stories, you can find Tim on Talk, where he is happy to chat through anything you’d like to know. It’s all free and it makes up the world’s biggest social network of men who want to get and give support around weight loss.
If you want to make a change to your life right now – then simply sign up for one of our free 30 day online weight programmes, the only thing you’ve got to lose is fat…
Kyle Uses WeightWatchers and Healthy Changes To Hit 200lbs Loss #AmazingLoser
- Name: Kyle Klobe (ask him anything on Talk)
- Height: 5’11” (180.3 cm)
- Job: Recovery Coach. I work in the field of substance abuse. I work with parents when their kids have been removed from the home. We try to get them the help that they need so they are able to get their kids back into their custody.
- Age: 30
- Location: Granite City, Illinois
- Highest weight: 425 lbs (192.1 kg)
- Lowest weight: 241 lbs (109.3 kg)
Kyle – start off by giving us a bit of history about you and weight – have you always been bigger?
I have been heavy for quite some time. I knew I needed to lose weight, but never was able to stick with any kind of diet or exercise regimen. I would go for a few weeks here and there and then I would get tired of working out.
Did it always bother you being overweight?
I have always had a good sense of humour, so I was able to laugh off a lot of things on the outside, but I really wasn’t very happy with the person I was on the inside. It would sometimes deter me from going to sporting events due to me being too big to sit in the seats. I would always be too self-conscious to take my shirt off and things like that. I had a very low level of confidence when it came to approaching women and would often sacrifice my feelings and wants/needs to keep a girl happy because I didn’t feel like I deserved enough to have a girlfriend. Buying clothes at a big and tall store was always uncomfortable and somewhat embarrassing. I found a lot of comfort in food. It never judged me. It wasn’t ever mean to me or rude to me. It was always there for me.
So what made you want to change? Where did the initial motivation come from?
Seeing so many people close to me make changes and better themselves got me into the right mind frame to get myself into a gym, and get a diet that I was comfortable with and that started producing positive results. In November 2012, I decided that I had had enough of the way that I was living my life. That was around the time that I was at my peak weight. Since that time, I have not looked back and have made steady progress and have lost 184 pounds to get to my low weight of 241 pounds.
So we all know that exercise is just a small part of the battle, what eating plan did you follow?
In February 2013 I did WeightWatchers with a few friends. I started that program at 369 pounds. I did really well with it for the first six months and lost a fair amount of weight on it. I had already lost a little bit of weight before joining the program. I lost around 70 or so pounds during the time I did WeightWatchers. Most recently, I started a Biggest Loser contest on January 2nd, 2015 that ran through March 28th, 2015. I started that contest at 295 pounds and by the time it was completed I was at 241 pounds.
What made it different from the times before?
As I started to see progress it got me wanting to learn more and more about what my body was going through, so I got back into school and am studying exercise physiology in graduate school. This helps me recognise what is going on in my body and keeps me around a lot of like-minded people. I also really fell in love with going to the gym every day and decided that I had to stick with a routine, or else I would end up back in a place that I don’t want to ever get to again. As far as the gym goes, it helped a lot to have people with me in the gym to help keep me accountable and to make sure I went every day.
What were the changes that made the most difference do you think?
Cutting out soda was a huge deal. I used to drink numerous sodas throughout the day and rarely drank water. Making the choice to drink at least a gallon of water a day was a huge key in starting my process. I also made myself get to the gym at least 5-6 days a week every week. As I have gone on in this journey, I have learned to alter routines and do things so that my body is able to perform and stay away from injuries.
It’s amazing isn’t it what a big difference just stopping drinking calories can make isn’t it. I think there are still a huge number of guys out there who don’t fully understand that they’re taking in a huge amount of calories through fizzy drinks. What else were you eating in a day?
Junk food. I don’t think there was any typical thing I would eat, but very rarely was it healthy. I ate fast food a lot, and with that came the 44 oz. sodas and french fries and all of that. Potato chips, candy, and so it goes on!
Has it been straight forward?
As is the case with any weight loss regimen or journey to the extent I have been on, there will always be plateaus. I have always been a competitive person, so when I would hit plateaus, I would get really upset and almost take it personally in a way. With WeightWatchers, we weighed ourselves every week and if there was a week I didn’t lose any weight, I would get very frustrated. But instead of letting it get me down, I set it as a challenge to myself to work harder. There has been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears shed throughout the process, but to say that I haven’t enjoyed every minute of it would be a lie. I don’t have anything against people who lost weight via surgery, but I feel like if I would have done it that way, I wouldn’t be nearly as proud of myself as I am now.
How has life changed now you’ve lost the weight?
I have so much more confidence. I, along with many others, notice that I smile a lot more now than I ever used to. I am able to approach people and not wonder or care whether or not they are judging me for something. I am able to buy clothes without going into a big and tall section or store. I went from 4XL shirts to XL in some. I went from a size 54 waist all the way down to a 38. Some 36s, but mostly 38s! I am just overall more happy about who I am and the choices I have made to make me the person I am today.
What surprised you about losing weight?
What surprised me the most about the whole process is how much I really enjoy exercising. I always hated going to the gym. It was always easier for me to sit and watch TV for those couple hours. I have done a 6k race and have competed in 40 flight stair climbs. I look forward to going to the gym every day that I don’t have school. I think seeing some progress somewhat fueled my fire and got me to want to keep going. Hearing the compliments daily from people I went to high school with and things like that was also helpful to keeping me going over the past few years.
What one law would you bring in to help others who are obese?
I have never thought about this before. I know that here in America, changes have been made in some public schools that have taken soda out of vending machines in order to help kids drink more water and take in fewer calories and sugars. One thing I would like to see is for healthier food to be less expensive than what it is. It is so much easier and more cost efficient for people to buy unhealthy food and junk food than it is to buy wholesome and nutritional food.
What three pieces of advice do you give to guys who ask you how you did it?
1.) It is a long process. I did not gain all of my weight in one night and it surely was not going to come off in a night either.
2.) It doesn’t have to be a terrible experience. Losing weight and exercising can be really fun if you make it that way.
3.) It will without a doubt make you a happier person when it’s all said and done. I spent so much of my life being unhappy with who I was. After losing weight and seeing how much happier I was, I could not imagine going back to that point ever again.
What do you think of Kyle’s story? Are you inspired? If you’re thinking about starting Weight Watchers, or you just want some advice about getting your own diet in line, as with all our Amazing Losers and their weight loss before and after stories, you can find Kyle on Talk.
If you want to make a change to your life right now – then simply sign up for one of our free 30 day online weight programmes, the only thing you’ve got to lose is fat…
Jay Drops Over 100lbs With Sensible Changes #AmazingLoser
- Name: Jay Golinksy (ask him anything on Talk)
- Height: 5’9″ (175.6 cm)
- Job: Lettings director at an estate agent
- Age: 30
- Location: North West London
- Highest weight: 308 lbs (139.7 kg)
- Lowest weight: 199 lbs (90.2 kg)
I think your story is a great example for guys who find themselves overweight as a result of leading a generally poor routine over time. What were you doing on a daily basis that caused you to get fat?
It became a bit of a vicious cycle with the routine that I was in. I’d walk into the office and have a latte with added sugar and croissants for breakfast, then I’d have my mid morning snack, my lunch, my afternoon snack, my dinner, more snacks and sometimes more food in the evening when I was bored! When I felt miserable or stressed I ate and it was generally crisps, chocolate, fizzy drinks or even a Greggs’ pasty!
At your heaviest you’d reached more than 300lbs which can’t have been much fun – how did it impact on your life?
I had all sorts of issues from simply finding clothes to fit, to being tired and having problems sleeping. I remember going to Vegas for the first time and getting blisters on my feet very quickly. Then there were the self-confidence issues like getting no interest from girls and just a general lack of self confidence… I think the list goes on really! Being fat just isn’t a good or healthy thing!
I love the fact that we have the exact photo that caused you to make changes in your life, can you tell us a bit about it?
Well, I’m massively into cars and a friend of mine brought his Lamborghini Diablo along and told me to get in and he would take a photo. I should have loved it but I hated it! I looked huge and hardly fit into the car. Then my brother told me he was engaged and wanted me to be the best man at his wedding. I thought to myself, how can I look like that in photos? I’m going to be seeing for the rest of my life, thus the start of my journey!
So you had that initial flashpoint of the photo and you had a goal – that’s two of the key stages for guys who want to lose weight – taking your initial motivation and also setting yourself a goal. What changes did you make?
Like most men I haven’t followed a specific diet, I just massively decreased the intake of food, cut out sugary foods, implemented some portion control and lowered the carbs. To give you an idea of what I focus on now a typical day’s intake would be 200g of fat free yoghurt, two protein shakes, one chicken breast with 50g broccoli, 50g mixed beans, 50g spinach and 50g of sweet potato mash, two to three eggs and then a salmon fillet with more veg. I actually eat about seven times a day but I’m much more controlled about what I eat and how much I eat!
What made it different from the times before?
After a month I had actually stuck to the changes I’d set myself and I had that goal date in mind. By that point I’d also lost a stone and was feeling great and starting to get compliments. All of that meant I wanted to keep going. After two months of eating healthy, I joined the gym and mixed three or four weekly trips with healthy food.
I’m proud that I’ve lost weight completely naturally, no supplements, fat burning pills, special diets or magical things. Straight eating clean and hard work in the gym. The only help is protein shakes for muscle recovery post workout.
You’ve kept good records of your intake and weight all the way through your journey – what does that information show you now you look at it?
There have been times when it has been really hard. Harder than I ever imagined it could be! I managed to get myself down to just under 18 stone by my brother’s wedding but I still wasn’t happy but I struggled to keep going. I got myself down to 17 stone before going to NYC in the December of 2013 and had a week off the diet and training to give myself a break.
The start of 2014 I basically remained the same and went from 16 stone to 17 stone until the September of 2014 when someone in my local gym gave me some help and advice with some new stuff to do. I managed to get myself to 16 stone on the button for another Vegas trip to celebrate my 30th birthday in style! I had never in my life felt so good and positive about myself, especially buying things I couldn’t before such as Levi’s jeans and Calvin Klein boxer shorts!
January of 2015 was the general recover of the xmas period but by the beginning of February I was 16 stone 10lbs and not happy. A friend of mine helped me with macro nutrients for a strict diet and after 18 weeks of being on the diet I had gotten down to 14 stone 3lbs and I felt physically and mentally drained. I felt very low yet at the same time, looked better than ever. Another short break from that to recover and I’m currently in the process of working with building weights and cardio to burn the remaining fat.
I think that’s a useful insight – for most of us who lose weight, it’s not that we find the perfect strategy off the bat. We fine tune and make continual changes. The way I see it it’s an ongoing process of looking for the healthy choices that you can enjoy and sustain. It’s also telling that you’ve had that range of support – has that been important?
I felt the need to surround myself with positive people to keep my attitude in the right direction and it’s something I’d encourage other guys to do. For me I’ve had help from Mim, the chap from the gym, he has helped me with weight-lifting and gym stuff, as well as another friend called Mark I met in the gym. One of my best friends Zoe helped with my diet this year, I’d be a bit lost without her! My family have helped massively even down to dad buying my food so I can meal prep when I don’t have the time.
Wow, that’s brilliant. I think that when you tell people that you’re embarking on a project like this to turn your life around then it’s amazing the people who come into your life and help out. If anyone reading this wants to make a start in finding help then go and register on the MAN v FAT weight loss forum. You have to take responsibility for the quality of information you take on (my advice is always to try it out and if it helps then stick with it, if not bin it!) What other advice do you have for men who want to lose weight?
Despite the effort that it’s taken me I’d stress that it’s not as hard as you think when you have that motivation and that goal that you want to work for. After all healthy food tastes nicer than unhealthy food when you stop kidding yourself that a massive fat-filled pizza is a treat and you can make loads of healthy food choices that fill you up for longer. Lastly, I’d encourage you to think about how much better you will feel when you’ve got your weight under control. I’d also point out that if you’re single then the ladies start getting interested!
Jay is a fab guy to chat to on the forums, if you’re thinking about starting up with weights, or you just want some advice about getting your own diet in line, as with all our Amazing Losers and their weight loss before and after stories, you can find him on Talk.
If you want to make a change to your life right now – then simply sign up for one of our free 30 day online weight programmes, the only thing you’ve got to lose is fat…
Amazing Loser Dan Drops 40 lbs After Facebook Shame
- Name: Dan Burton (ask him anything on Talk)
- Height: 5’11” (180.3 cm)
- Job: Designer
- Age: 30
- Location: Nottingham
- Highest weight: 204 lbs (92.5 kg)
- Lowest weight: 165 lbs (74.8 kg)
Like a lot of guys who are bigger, you found yourself on the receiving end of unwanted comments – what happened?
I remember that I was at my brother’s house for an evening over Christmas a few years ago, and one of his friends made a flippant remark about my weight gain and gestured towards my chest. I had noticed that my weight had been increasing, but thought I was doing a good job of covering it up. Having a group of people laugh at that comment actually really hurt, even though I laughed it off, but it still took a year to get the courage to do anything about it.
I think that’s a great example of why simply pointing out people are fat doesn’t work as a means of inspiring them to lose weight, in fact fat shaming often has the opposite effect. How was your weight impacting on your life?
I felt uncomfortable in my clothes, my self-confidence had dropped to its lowest and I was so inactive, especially at the weekends. One day I was looking at pictures of my son’s second birthday party on Facebook and saw a shot of me in the background, which really made me double take. I decided to make changes.
What was the timescale for all of this?
I started January 15th and found that I was losing 2-3 lbs a week quite easily, but the first three weeks in March I didn’t lose any weight at all. I was getting to the point of thinking about going to the gym five days a week and eating even less, but I think I had simply been overdoing the celebrations for my 30th and luckily started to lose weight again shortly after.
So what were the major changes that you made?
Like a lot of guys I didn’t want to do a specific diet, I looked at Slimming World and borrowed a cook book from my parents but I didn’t like the lack of calorie values. In the end I decided to just download the MyFitnessPal app and start monitoring what I was eating. Initially I removed all pasta, white rice and white potatoes form my diet, and the only sweet food I would eat would be whole fruit.
I also decided that I would do cardio four days a week and try and curb my mindless eating. I thought that if a pound of fat is 3500 calories I could probably lose one pound per week through exercise and another through diet.
As of today I have lost 59,000 calories through 230 activities logged in RunKeeper.
Can you identify what made it different to other times you’d thought about losing weight?
I actually don’t know, I think I was more motivated by wanting to be more active for my son, but I also wanted to feel better about myself. A friend mentioned that he had joined the gym a few minutes away and I said I would come along with him, which I did.
What did you think of My Fitness Pal?
MyFitnessPal is a good app, but if you’re not weighing your food or being totally honest it can be a bit pointless. I also use RunKeeper to track my activities.
So what would your typical “diet” day intake look like then?
I’d have either porridge with raisins, or toast with two poached eggs for breakfast, a mid-morning snack of a gala apple, sushi or a salad Boots meal deal for lunch. I managed to get a pyramid style scheme going for free Graze boxes and had the 50-150 calorie options delivered weekly which worked great as a late afternoon snack. As a main meal I would have something such as chicken breast with mediterranean vegetables, or sea bass with sweet potato mash and broccoli.
What are the most notable things that you’ve spotted that are different now you’ve lost the weight?
I can run 5k quite easily now without stopping, whereas before I couldn’t run for more than a few minutes without feeling a burning sensation in my chest. I also get complimented a couple of times a week from friends I haven’t seen in a while, or colleagues at work. I dropped my car off for an MOT and when the garage called, the mechanic even complemented me! It’s the best I have ever felt after a call from a garage!
What support have you had along the way?
I have a close group of friends who all chat via a WhatsApp group, and as soon as I started at the gym another two started to take their health seriously too. One has managed to go from 100kg to 89kg this year and is looking great. We have all signed up for a 5k fun run in November and it is a great motivator.
I wouldn’t say anyone got in the way, but my girlfriend wasn’t as supportive as I thought she would be. She would often moan if I spent too many evenings in the gym, and acted funny if I turned down treats like Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
What surprised you about losing weight?
Just how different my face would look, I didn’t realise how much fat I must have gained in my head!
If you could go back to the person you were at your heaviest – what would you say to him?
Don’t put away a pack of 12 jaffa cakes in one sitting, stop cooking all those rich french foods full of cream and butter. Importantly, you will feel great losing the weight, because running is actually fun and isn’t some kind of lie made up by crazy people! Also, it will only take 24 weeks to get into the best shape you will have been in since you were in your teens.
You’re Prime Minister for the day, what one law do you bring in to help others who are obese?
I don’t know about any laws I would create, but there needs to be a lot more support specifically for men looking to get healthy. MAN v FAT referrals for all!
We’ve had a lot of really big losers on the site recently, but it’s important to remember that weight can be just as damaging to your health and your life even if you’re only carrying 10 extra pounds. Dan looks and feels great now that he’s made some changes and if you want to ask him anything then, as with all our Amazing Losers, you can find him on Talk.
If you want to make a change to your life right now – then simply sign up for one of our free 30 day online weight programmes, the only thing you’ve got to lose is fat…
Amazing Loser Eli Wells Loses Over 300lbs With Insanity
- Name: Eli Wells (ask him anything on Talk)
- Height: 6’1″ (185.4 cm)
- Job: I work from home as an Account Manager. In the evenings I have workout classes that I teach at my church.
- Age: 36
- Location: Austin, Texas.
- Highest weight: 590 lbs (267.7 kg)
- Lowest weight: 290 lbs (131.5 kg)
Eli – wow. 300lbs is something really impressive and I know that you’ve had a lot of challenges during your weight loss. Let’s start at the beginning – I believe you had an intervention from an unusual medical source?
Yeah, it all started with a dentist visit when I needed work done. My dentist very bluntly told me that I was a walking heart attack, stroke. He said you should be dead with blood pressure that high and smoking cigarettes didn’t make things better either. My blood pressure was so high and the levels were so way off that the dentist was only able to put numbing cream in my mouth because he didn’t want to use gas. I felt every single thing when it came to the extractions that I had done that day and that was four teeth removals. That was my moment!
How had you got to that point?
In 2000 I was violently attacked and stabbed in my right eye, which meant I lost my eye. At the time I was heavy but when this incident happened my weight increased so much where at one point I was weighing over 600lbs. I went through a major depression and secluded myself and started to let myself just go into a deeper and deeper depression.
I think many people would struggle to imagine what life is like at nearly 600lbs. What impact did it have on you?
Man, five steps felt like a mile, I always took up two seats wherever I sat, I was always out of breath so much that people confused my breathing with having asthma. My knees were shot and I couldn’t even tie my shoes. I broke a couple of office chairs on the job and I had to wear seat belt extenders.
I only ever ate in private because I would be laughed at while I was eating. If I went to a buffet or a party then I’d get constant comments. Having a 60″ waist, I tell ya, The Big & Tall Store loved when I would come and shop there! Elasticated pants were my best friend.
I needed a change. I kept seeing myself getting bigger and bigger so I knew I had to do something but I just didn’t know what I should do or the approach that I needed to take.
So what changed? What did you decide to do?
I started out using the meal plan provided by the Beachbody programme called Insanity. That’s mostly no red meats or pork with a lot more vegetables. I just made the decision that I would stick with this programme. So over time I did Insanity, T25, Insanity Max30 and after I completed all those programs I was able to create my own cardio workouts. I started out six days a week twice a day working out…and that’s when I began to see the weight just fall off and melt away!
Once I started I didn’t want to stop. What I didn’t know is that losing weight and getting fit can make you feel so good, and bring so much life and joy. Well after I lost so much weight, I started getting calls and emails from casting agencies wanting to share my story that was pretty fun and exciting!
So what sort of thing would you eat during the day?
Mornings I would drink my Boost Protein shake, lunch and dinner would be either grilled chicken, almonds, salad, or turkey. My journey was up and down just like life can be sometimes. There was times I didn’t see results but I kept pushing and going and changed up my process a bit, changing up things is good, it tricks the body.
What is the difference of living a fat life and living a healthy life?
My life has changed so much for the better, I’m active, I’m able to keep up with my two kids, I can move quickly. I’m able to run races, exercise for long periods of time even more than once a day. My metabolism is thru the roof, My confidence has boosted sooooo much!
Now I suffer with excess skin that I’ve been battling with. I suffer with rashes, sores, odor horrible back pain and other embarrassing things that I’d rather not mention. I have been to doctors to get consults, but my insurance will not cover it, Ive been denied a total of seven times through two different insurance companies. A few years ago I started a gofundme account to get help from people and only able to raise till this day only $200.00. I smile to keep from crying at times cause I suffer and have restrictions, I have constant back pain from skin, I have to wear compression clothing. It feels like a tire is wrapped around my waist and I HATE IT! I keep pushing and going…
I believe you’ve now started helping others to lose weight?
For the past few months I’ve been instructing and hosting a fit club that I started at my church, it roughly about 10 to 15 of us and I teach and show all cardio moves, transforming lives through health and fitness. During the summer we are off, and the remainder of year we are digging deep three days a week.
What support have you had with the weight loss?
First and upmost God has had helped me and kept me sane through this whole entire process, well actually my whole life since I’ve been big as a kid. Being a single father my kids motivate me and push me by just loving me and telling me that I’m doing a good job! Shaun T is the man I’ve purchased all of his work from home programs and he’s my trainer and motivator and someday I wish to meet him once I get this skin removed whenever that will be…
What should other MAN v FAT readers know about losing weight?
Well – your male parts grows a bit more! I tend to look in the mirror a lot more! Every now and then though you do tend to see that bigger person that used to be there staring back at you which is good and it’s motivation to keep pushing away from what you do not want to go back to…
Huge congratulations to Eli on his success and don’t forget if you want to ask him anything then head on over to Talk and if you’re an Amazing Loser, or you know of one, then get in touch and share your story and inspire the rest of us!
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