A man who once weighed 40 stone and feared he would die before 30 has shed more than half of his body weight without jabs or surgery.
Henry Gonzalez said he spent years eating enough fast food for a family of four.
At his heaviest, the now-34-year-old wore 7XL shirts, had a 62-inch waist and spent around £45 a day on takeaways.
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The clothing store owner believed he’d die from obesity if he didn’t overhaul his lifestyle.
“I truly thought I was going to die young,” Henry, from Vallejo, California, told Need To Know.
“I never thought I’d make it to 30.
“I figured I’d be dead in my early 20s due to my lifestyle.
“For years, I would eat fast food for almost every meal and I would drink alcohol in excess.
“That was my routine – just work and on my days off I’d drink until I blacked out and ate whatever I wanted.
“I never considered being active.
“My daily go to meals were McDonalds, Taco Bell and Jack in the Box – whatever I was feeling that day, I would go and get.
“I would order enough food to feed a family of four.
“A regular order at McDonald’s would be two McChicken burgers with cheese, large fries, a chicken sandwich meal, and 20 chicken nuggets.
“It was hard to do pretty much everything at my heaviest.
“I struggled putting on shoes and would have to have them tied already or have someone tie them for me.
“Jeans were hard to find and even just standing for short periods of time was difficult.
“My legs hurt but thank god I had a job in security where I just sat all day.”
Henry had been “chubby” throughout school, but towards the end of his high school years he started to pile on the pounds thanks to his unhealthy diet.
At his heaviest, he was also pre-diabetic, had high blood pressure, fatty liver, high cholesterol and suffered with a pain in his chest.
He said: “It felt like my heart was being squeezed randomly and more frequently the heavier I got.
“It felt like someone was squeezing my heart.
“It effected me physically everyday.
“I felt the weight become heavier and heavier as time passed and I started moving less and less.
“I would be tired all the time and have a bad mood.
“I was constantly angry with myself for the life I’d created.”
Henry’s turning point came through his clothing brand, GameTight Clothing, which originally started as a music label.
He said he had a vision for the brand and realised he needed to become a healthier version of himself to make it a reality.
Henry considered having gastric bypass surgery but decided to give losing weight naturally a serious attempt first in November 2019.
He said: “I found my personal trainer Ryan through a friend who lost some weight with him.
“I followed his program from meal plan to workouts and stayed on it for six years.
“I still follow the same program, just more intensely now, but it feels like it’s not.
“I’m very proud of myself for following through with this decision.
“I’ve learned so much about myself and still I’m continuing to grow
“I almost did the gastric bypass but wanted to give the natural way a real shot before I did that, and I’m glad I did.”
Henry has now lost a whopping 25 stone, dropping from 40 stone to 15 stone.
His shirt size has fallen from 7XL to a large, while his waist has gone from 60 inches to 34 inches.
Even his shoe size has changed, from a size 12 to a size 10.
Now, he mainly cooks at home and keeps his meals simple, typically eating chicken, salmon or ground turkey with rice and vegetables.
He changes his protein from week to week but said his overall diet remains consistent.
Henry said: “My daily routine has been the same for about four years now.
“I wake up, go to the gym, hit my lifts then I hit a trail and walk about four to six miles listening to audiobooks and podcasts that help me grow mentally.
“I journal and meditate almost everyday.
“I eat the same meals on rotation, go to work then sleep and do it again.
“It took me about a year to get my routine down.”
The dramatic transformation has also changed the way Henry views his life.
Now, he hopes his transformation will inspire others who are struggling with their weight to believe that major change is possible without giving up.
He added: “Life has changed completely now, nothing is the same.
“I thought the way I was living before was life.
“Now, I understand I was just existing at my biggest, not living.
“I get to experience the world in a much more beautiful way.
“I hope someone can see my story and see that natural weight loss is possible at that size, it just takes time and determination.
“My weight loss is the result of never quitting on yourself.
“My opinion on weight loss surgery and jabs is if you can walk, you can lose the weight there are some cases where people do need the help and I fully support anyone who is trying to get their life back.
“In my case, I felt I was young enough and was still able to walk and I didn’t feel right doing the surgery without actually fully trying to do it naturally.
“I was lucky to find my trainer Ryan down at Authentic Fitness who knew it was possible for me before I did.”
DIET BEFORE
Breakfast: Skip
Lunch: Six eggs, six sausages, beans or drive thru takeaway food
Dinner: two large meals from McDonalds, Jack in the Box or Taco Bell
DIET AFTER
Breakfast: Two eggs, one cup of egg white and slices of turkey bacon
Lunch: 8oz of chicken/salmon/ground turkey, one cup of rice, and vegetables
Dinner: 8oz of chicken/salmon/ground turkey and vegetables
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