This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Henry Gonzalez. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I’ve lost nearly 350 pounds and kept the weight off. As a kid, I was never small. I was a bigger kid through my teenage years.
When I was 21, I weighed 470 pounds. I was able to lose 50 pounds, but then gained weight again. In my 20s, I got in trouble and went to jail, and ended up gaining more weight because I thought nothing mattered and I should just do what I wanted to. I didn’t care about anything. At 27 years old, I weighed 565 pounds.
I was working the graveyard shift then, and I’d wake up, eat a bunch of eggs with bacon or sausage, and go right back to sleep after a huge breakfast. Then, I’d wake up again and go to Taco Bell or Jack-in-the-Box. Then, I’d snack at work all night on stuff from the vending machine. I was constantly eating. I was also drinking a lot of alcohol. I have no idea how many calories I was eating a day, but it was a lot.
I found a trainer in a private gym
I was worried about getting my life on track. But I was self-conscious, so I avoided working out at bigger gyms. But I felt comfortable at a private gym I found through a friend. In the beginning, it was body weight exercises. Being that big, just moving your body is a workout. So I’d do things like wall push-ups or assisted squats. Then, I was using 15 to 20 pounds and going slowly.
The trainer was great, so I just shut my brain off and listened to him. I would show up and shut up. He set me up with a meal plan for about 2,500 calories per day, and he bugged me every week to keep the calorie deficit and stay motivated. He kept me accountable.
From November 2019 to January 2020, I lost 50 pounds. Within the first six months, I lost 150 pounds.
I was tired of being ignorant and thought I should learn. I never finished school, and I hated learning. Now, I love it. I started paying closer attention and asking more questions, and the more I understood what was going on, the easier it felt. It was easier for me to eat fewer calories because I understood the goal. I became fascinated with how our bodies work. And seeing results kept me motivated.
I’m now 34, and I’ve kept my weight loss off for almost 7 years
I just did my first skin removal for my neck, and I’m doing another one later this year. I want to lose another 20 to 30 pounds of fat, and then I’ll be happy. I’m currently 225 pounds, but I want to remove the excess skin and get down to 200 on the scale.
I now eat the same foods almost every day: two eggs plus one cup egg whites with a couple of slices of turkey bacon and half an avocado. Lunch and dinner are 8oz of the protein of my choice with rice and veggies. I drink a gallon of water a day, and I have cheat meals every once in a while. I am training three to four days a week and walk about four to six miles every day.
I almost had gastric bypass surgery. At the orientation, they told me things I didn’t like hearing, like what all the restrictions are after surgery. I’m glad they scared me. Some people need surgery, but I told myself I’d try it naturally first. My advice to anyone who wants to lose weight naturally is to take the first step and just try. I didn’t care about losing weight, but something told me to try it naturally.
I’ve invested so much time and money into myself. I’m stubborn. I don’t want to lose what I’ve done.
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