A man lost a whopping 169 pounds — more than the weight of a washing machine — in a year, and he managed it all with old-fashioned diet and exercise.
Lee Herring, 31, weighed 351 pounds and wore a size 5XL at his heaviest, when he would gorge on chocolate, sweets, cream buns, microwave meals and Chinese takeout.
Herring said that at his job at a community center, he regularly dealt with people who had suffered from a stroke or heart attack, and he “really felt” the impact it had on victims and families.
So he decided to make a change to his own eating habits and lost 169 pounds in the next 12 months.
He swapped his junk food meals for lean meat proteins, fruit and veg and slow-release energy oatmeal.
Herring began walking daily and while initially only able to complete a “slow walk with lots of breathlessness,” he now does much longer walks up to 90 minutes at a time and does a lot of cardio on the treadmill.
Now weighing 177 pounds and wearing a size medium, he managed to retain much of his lean body mass and is now turning his attention to strength training to begin toning up.
“It was tough both physically and mentally — getting into that mentality and coping with cravings for sugary and fatty foods,” said Herring, a receptionist from Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, UK.
“I was exercising daily and the physical torment I went through for the first couple of months, but I kept telling myself to keep going.
“Also the diet — I’ve spoken to friends and family who call it a diet but it’s not a diet it’s a food relationship re-education program.”
Prior to his weight loss journey, Herring said doing everything was “a challenge.”
“Everything was limited,” he said. “Walking up stairs a challenge, getting in the car was a challenge too.
“I had a lot of joint pain, got tired easily and I was constantly breathless.”
He was wearing 5XL clothes and had to order from specialized websites, but now he can try things on in regular stores.
“Now I’m a medium or large. I can walk into a clothes shop and pick something up and try it on,” he said. “It gives me so much more freedom.”
Though he has shed a huge amount, Herring has a goal weight of around 165 pounds and hopes to hit it soon.
“The first couple of months I was averaging a loss of around 1.5 stone [21 pounds] a month, and it’s started to plateau now which is fine as I’m at an acceptable weight which is good,” he said.
“Over the year it has evened out. I want to keep on the same track. The weight loss has slowed down a little bit, so it’s just a case of maintaining that healthy lifestyle.
“I always stress that I’ve not done this cosmetically, my main motivating factor was purely for health.
“Being there for my friends and family — I didn’t want them to see me like that and worry about me, that was my motivating factor.
“There were times when I wanted to give up but it’s been so worth it.”
Herring’s before diet:
- Breakfast: Granola or a sugary cereal
- Lunch: Pre-made sandwich or baguettes with lots of cheese and butter
- Dinner: Pizza or Chinese takeout and ice cream
Herring’s current diet:
- Breakfast: Oatmeal for slow release energy
- Lunchtime: Grilled chicken or protein shake
- Dinner: Sweet vegetables and chicken or some type of lean meat
- Snacks: Fruit or carrot sticks
