Losing Weight Through Bodybuilding

Prior to leaving the Army in 2001, I was diagnosed with asthma and ligament damage from knee surgery. After I was honorably discharged, I used those medical conditions as an excuse not to exercise and began to gain a lot of weight. I went from a lean 185 pounds to 250 pounds. I had little energy and motivation to work out and eat healthily. I worked as a field technician back then and ate fast food every day. I did not exercise at all.

The weight gain definitely affected my mood and social interactions. I was very self-conscious of how I dressed and even wore t-shirts to the beach and pool. I was truly in a depressed state.

I decided to lose weight after my father died in 2005, but it took me until 2010 to fully commit. In 2010, I moved from Michigan to Colorado, and that move provided me the environment and support I needed to make a fitness change for the better. I set a goal of losing 20 pounds in three months. I shook off the depression of losing my dad, and began to eat healthier and exercise.

Weight Loss: Man Sheds 7st And Transforms Into A Bodybuilder

For my diet, I swapped out fast food for home-cooked meals. I incorporated a higher protein diet designating about 50 percent of my calories to protein, 30 percent to fat and 20 percent to carbohydrates. This diet allowed me to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. It was definitely hard in the beginning, but like with any new habit, once you do it for a while, it becomes more of the norm. There were days I struggled—and I still struggle—with cravings, but I simply go to my crave curbing foods, like fruits, to get me through.

I had to learn how to cook healthy meals, like lean meat. Now, I’ve learned to prepare all my meals on the weekend, making my week easier to handle.

I began to lift weights and do cardio five to six times per week. I first started working out at the gym at my job—it was similar to a hotel gym. Eventually, I outgrew that gym since the dumbbells only went up to 50 pounds. I tracked my food and workouts in the Lose It! app. I even incorporated workouts I found in

How To Lose Weight And Gain Muscle

Between Aug 2010 and Aug 2011, I lost over 40 pounds. I did activities that I’ve never done before, like going to the gym regularly and participating in numerous 5k races, 10k races, and even a half marathon.

However, I loved weight training the most. In 2013, at the recommendation of friends and fellow gym-goers, I competed in my first Natural Muscle Bodybuilding Show—and won! I have since won 12 physique or bodybuilding shows and even won a Natural World Muscle Model Title in 2017.

The lessons I learned in the gym, and in my workouts, I have applied to my career in corporate America. Many know of my transformation and it has sparked others to change their health and fitness. I do my best to support and encourage people to live a fit lifestyle. Living a fit lifestyle not only positively impacts the person, but positively impacts everyone around them too. I teach people that there is no magic formula to building a better body. It’s more about finding what works for you and being consistent with exercise and a proper diet over time.

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Hulk Hogan Feels Healthier Than Ever at 69 This Guy Changed His Mindset and Dropped 43 Pounds Pickleball Helped This Guy Drop 70 Pounds How This Guy Lost 16 Percent of His Body FatIt took a visit to the ophthalmologist to convince Yves Tighe that he needed a change. The 55-year-old IT consultant from Braintree in the UK was a regular gym-goer, but had never really paid much attention to his diet. “My family was in the restaurant business so food is important to me, ” he says. “I would eat anything I wanted. There was no restriction.” He cooked from scratch, but he was eating a lot of pasta—plenty of carbs but not enough protein. His job encouraged Friday drinks with colleagues.

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Put it all together, and Tighe had steadily gained weight—he topped out at about 240 pounds. His ophthalmologist thought he saw something in Tighe’s eye and advised a cholesterol test. The results were borderline high, and he decided it was time to get fit.

He started with boxing, then moved to CrossFit before settling in with Ultimate Performance in London. Part of what drew him to that program was a focus on eating right. “Diet for me was always an issue, ” he says. “I thought I ate healthily, but was eating the wrong foods and always drank alcohol.”

Working with a personal trainer, he started with an eight to ten-week fat-loss program, cutting down on his carbs, focusing on protein and green vegetables. “I had been knocking back loads of raw eggs whites to get my protein in thinking I was Rocky, ” he says—which his trainer kiboshed. He also taught Tighe to use macros rather than calories to guide his diet.

Eat This Way To Build Muscle And Lose Fat!

“The result was a very skinny me and whilst achieved the initial goals that wasn’t a look I particularly liked, ” he says. He wanted to bulk up, so he started carb cycling, bracketing his training with white rice and protein. Within a few months, his trainer asked if Tighe wanted to try bodybuilding competitions. “To go on stage and be an actual bodybuilder was something I dreamt of, ” he says, “but never imagined possible in reality.”

He’s won two competitions since then, and scored an invitation to the British finals. “I didn’t even go into it as a competition, ” he says. “I just went in for it to be up on the stage and feel I belong.” He’s also been getting noticed for his newly sculpted physique—including from strangers. If he wears a vest while cycling through the city, he says, the famously reticent Londoners aren’t shy about offering him compliments.

Aesthetics aside, he’s also improved his well-being. “My health is absolutely fine now, ” he says. “Especially compared to many my age. They’re at the doctor’s every week with a bad back or an illness.” He credits his gym work with keeping him feeling young. “I certainly don’t feel 55, ” he says. “Somewhere in my twenties with a lot of experience.”

The Ultimate Guide To Weight Loss

Age, Tighe says, is no excuse not to be healthy. And he gives plenty of credit to the trainer who helped him turn things around. Anyone who wants to follow his lead should find a trainer who understands their goals and is fully engaged. “When you find a good one, ” he says, “do as you’re told—and leave your phone in the locker.”

Jesse Hicks is a Detroit-based writer and former features editor at The Verge who specializes in longform stories about science, health, and technology. He has written for Men’s Health, VICE, Harper’s, and many other publications.

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Indoor Cycling Helped this Guy Lose 200 Pounds How to Create a Calorie Deficit in 2 Simple Steps The Top 5 Vitamins for Weight Loss Can Oatmeal Help With Weight Loss?When a competitor undergoes a dramatic weight-loss transformation but lacks the chiseled physique and symmetrical perfection to win, do they still have a place on the stage?

Sitting in a quiet auditorium watching competitors file out on stage, you notice one participant who stands out. He has the suit, the tan, the technique—but he definitely doesn't look like everyone else. He's got a few stretch marks on his belly and not enough muscle to fill out the loose skin around his stomach or arms.

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As a fan of , you admire anyone who has the guts to step on stage, but this guy has you baffled—why compete if you have no chance of winning? Then your neighbor leans over and whispers, How embarrassing. That dude has no business being on stage. 

This is a very touchy subject. And whatever your response to that competitor, you're not alone. The weight-loss transformation has become a fairly regular sight on the competitive stage in recent years, especially at local and regional shows, and one has been the subject of plenty of online discussion recently. Many believe that every competitor has a right to showcase his or her hard work, while others find