You might think that being bullied for your weight is the sort of thing that could destroy a person’s self-confidence forever. But this week’s Amazing Loser is evidence that even when someone has been kicked when they’re down, it doesn’t mean they have to stay down. Read Blake’s before and after weight loss story and learn how you can do it too.
Name Blake
Age 20
Height 6 foot
Weight at heaviest 310lbs (140.6kg)
Current weight 180lbs (81.6kg)
How long did it take you to lose it? Around 3 years
What’s your history with weight loss? Have you always been bigger or did this creep up on you?
I started out as a very fit kid, I even played sports daily. But slowly it crept up on me being a child. I simply did not understand or recognise how it was impacting my life until I was a teenager. And by the time I realised what I’d done it seemed to be an insurmountable problem.
What was your experience of being big like?
It was frankly horrible. I had no friends throughout middle and high school, I was bullied in late elementary. My life was as bleak as can be and I had no hope. Every day I looked in the mirror and despised myself, I hated being seen. I couldn’t even walk up a small hill without being out of breath, or my feet hurting. I was miserable and depressed.
What was the point that you decided to do something about your weight?
It was when I finally weighed myself, and saw that 310lb on the scale. I knew so little about health that I had to google the number to find out I was morbidly obese and could have a heart attack any day. I finally saw my problem. After years of ignoring the reason why I hated myself and my life, I finally saw what I had to do. And that was exactly when I decided to make change.
When you’d decided to lose weight, what prep did you do before starting?
I knew practically nothing at the start. So I did a lot of research on deficits, nutrition – essentially, what the basics of losing weight were. Other than that I did not do much prep, I jumped headfirst into it and learned as I went through many and many failures!
Could you give an idea of daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks) before your weight loss?
I would eat fast foot all the time before I started losing weight. I would eat entire large pizzas for myself. I would down sweets and unhealthy snacks by the box. I was always told by my parents, you’re a big guy so you need to eat big.
Could you give an idea of daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks) after your weight loss?
Nowadays, I’m attempting do a body recomp and gain more muscle, so I eat a lot of whole foods such as chicken, potatoes, rice, broccoli, beans and eggs. Basically, as much non-processed high protein foods as I can.
How did you decide to lose the weight? What was your technique?
The way I lost the weight was simple in theory. Eat less than my body burns in a day – so just eating in a deficit. The reality is losing weight is a mind game. You have to control your mind and conquer it to make yourself do what you have to do. I made a journal to help workout my though process and fix flaws in my mindset. Each flaw I fixed led me closer to taking full control over what I wanted to do and fix. Eventually I was able to solve my problem of eating as an emotional coping tool by working through the issue in my head, which allowed me to lose weight.
What did you learn along the way?
The main concept I learned: you cannot lose if you don’t give up. Failure will happen. It is a fact, but it is also a proof of progress. You have to fail to progress. Another concept: weight loss is all about your mindset. Celebrate the little victories, take control and responsibility of your actions, and work to better yourself.
What tips do you have for other men who want to lose weight?
Some of my most valuable lessons I learned along the way are: eat whole foods, don’t beat yourself up, keep a daily journal to recognise and improve your mindset and get back up each time you fall.
If someone is reading this and they recognise themselves in you, what would you say directly to them?
If anyone relates to my circumstances, I would like you to know that I am not an enigma. I am not a special person, anybody and anyone can do this if YOU want to do it. My life is incredible after becoming more confident mentally and physically, there is so much joy to be found in the struggle and journey of weight loss. Start now, and do not give up. Put in effort, and it will be rewarded tenfold.
One of the many great aspects of Blake’s story is that he found a technique to help retrain his brain. Previously, he used food as a coping mechanism to deal with painful emotions. After he made his decision to change he found that journaling was a way of coping that didn’t involve self-destruction. Whatever method you use to change your patterns of behaviour, you can find alternatives in a number of ways – whether it’s sport, friendships or introspection. Thanks for sharing your story Blake and congratulations on the amazing progress.
