As told to Maria Masters

<h1>  I put on 100 pounds in one year  </h1>

<p>In 2008, when I was 19, I began attending military school, and in some ways, I began to thrive. My grades picked up, and I made Sergeant; even my supervisors were impressed with my progress. But I felt alone and my depression was growing worse. Despite the weekly workouts, I kept gaining weight. There were many healthy food options available, but for some reason, I was drawn to Southern comfort foods. </p>

<p>Now, the extra pounds were straining my joints and back-I was in constant misery every day. I dropped out in 2009, partly to try to save a long-distance relationship with my then-girlfriend. It didnt work, though; after the break-up, I turned to food again. I think I put on nearly 100 pounds that year alone.</p>

<h1>  Doctors told me I was killing myself  </h1>

<p>In 2016, at age 27, I was living on my own, working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, at a box factory. I ate fast food nearly every day: mainly Whoppers from Burger King and chicken BBQ pizza from a local pizzeria. I didnt have time to cook, and I found comfort in fatty, salty food. I knew my eating habits were unhealthy, I just didnt care. My depression was so bad I just wanted to shut out the world.</p>

<p>Right before my 28 th  birthday, I felt so dizzy and dehydrated that I drove myself to the hospital. I was admitted with high blood sugar, and eventually diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I was so dehydrated that the doctors kept me overnight. They told me I was killing myself-and that if I didnt change my eating habits, I would be dead by the time I was 35 years old. On some deep level, I think I knew I was killing myself, and that I truly didnt want to do that. </p>

<h1>  Losing the weight: From surgery, to dieting, to exercise   </h1>

<p>After about a year of yo-yo dieting-everything from Weight Watchers to Jenny Craig to counting calories-my mom suggested that I try gastric sleeve surgery. My doctor agreed, and we scheduled the operation for July 17, 2017. In the meantime, I went on a liquid diet that mainly consisted of protein shakes. It wasnt pretty-it was very difficult to get used to-but I lost 50 pounds even before I went under the knife. Afterward, I ate well and exercised, and within four months, I lost 140 pounds. </p>

<p>These days, I try to eat high-protein meals and snacks: I cook breakfast every morning (usually two eggs and a piece of cheese), and for lunch and dinner, Ill have chicken or bison meat, which is super lean. I always liked vegetables, but didnt eat them very often. Now, I have them as a side at lunch and dinner-usually broccoli, spinach or cauliflower. I also go to the gym every day. For a while, I worked with a personal trainer, but now, I work out with my girlfriend. I do a three-day split with free weights: lots of goblet squats and lunges.. </p>

<p>It felt great to lose the weight. I dont know how, but afterward, the haze I used to feel when I tried to think lifted, and I started thinking more clearly. I feel like a world has lifted off my shoulders. I have more energy now than I had since 7 th  grade. </p>

<p>Im going back to school, too, and am currently studying to take the POWER test (the Peace Officer Wellness Evaluation Report), which is given to people before entering the police academy. My goal is to be a policeman one day. Ive faced a lot of obstacles in my life; maybe one day, I can help other people, too.</p>

My childhood wasnt an easy one. I was a ward of the state of Illinois until I was adopted at the age of 11; before that, I lived everywhere from foster homes to an abandoned trailer. Some days, my only meals were bowls of rice. Even after my adoptive mom, Betsy, took me in, things were tough. I felt uncomfortable in public school, and I pretended to be too sick to go to class. Sometimes I even hid under my desk. I didnt know how to cope with the new environment.

A Terrifying Doctor's Visit Pushed This Man to Drop 177 Pounds

<p>Things came to a breaking point in early 2015, when I reached 270 pounds. Sure, I was happy: I was married to a wonderful woman, I was a father of three; I had a good job working for Apple, and my photography-a long-time hobby of mine-was starting to be published internationally. But I was also spending 10 hours a day at a desk, and eating a lot of fast food-mainly pizza and breakfast combos from Tim Hortons. I had also developed sleep apnea, and would sleep on the couch sometimes so as not to scare my wife when I woke up gasping for breath in the middle of the night. It was my choice: It wasnt fair that my lack of health should harm her, too.</p>

<h3>A fitness challenge at work got me running</h3>

<p>In June of that year, I decided to participate in Apples annual company-wide fitness challenge. My wife had recently completed a marathon, and she was the motivational spark I needed to take up running. I also wanted to be closer to her-I was proud of what shed accomplished, and she was proud of me, but I wanted to build something together, and I thought that running would bring us even closer. Thanks to her encouragement, I ran almost every night on a treadmill in our basement, and the pounds started to melt off. In the first few months, I lost about 20 pounds.</p>

[Lose It!] Dustin + Annette Worth_Workout_2.JPG

<p><strong> An app kept me going </strong></p>

<p>Im a numbers kind of guy, which was why cutting calories appealed to me early on. I downloaded the Lose It! app, plugged in my weight and how many pounds I wanted to lose (two a week), and made sure my calories didnt exceed the number on the screen. I traded my extra-large iced coffees for small ones and the breakfast sandwiches for eggs with mozzarella cheese. I also started lifting weights recently, so I pay a lot more attention to my macros-Im focused on building muscle, so Ive started drinking protein shakes and eating fish like tilapia or lean cuts of chicken. Once I understood the fundamentals of energy balance, I felt agency over my ability to control my body fat that Id never felt before.</p>

<p>In 2018, my wife and I decided to move to Florida, which has been like a second honeymoon to us. Now, we go to the gym together four days a week; I run with her, and she recently started weight training with me. Its like our lives have become even more entwined, and were more in love than ever. This past Thanksgiving (also my birthday), we ran a 5K together where we paced each other and crossed the finish line together.</p>

<p>Im also the healthiest Ive ever been: My weight is 170 pounds, my body fat percentage is hovering around 11 percent, and my sleep apnea has disappeared. Now that I have this new body, I have so many more goals I want to hit: everything from climbing the rope at my local YMCA to completing the <a href="http://www.skydiveultra.com/florida/index.html" id="da8329c3-68b9-470d-be00-258e1781bf25">  Skydive Ultra </a> , a choose-your-own distance race that starts out with a skydive. Because hey, why should the sky be the limit?</p>

I cant remember a time in my life where I wasnt sedentary. As a kid, I was more into playing the saxophone than playing sports, and I didnt know anything about proper nutrition. I also snacked a lot-a habit that continued into my twenties. Over the years, the weight piled on, and I sank further and further into denial. I was like a person who swipes their credit card but doesnt look at their statement. I never stepped on a scale and I tried to avoid being in photos because I didnt want to be ...

How This Guy Had a 100-Pound Weight Loss and Got Ripped in Less Than a Year

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As told to Maria Masters

Articles written by the author

A Terrifying Doctor's Visit Pushed This Man to Drop 177 Pounds

How This Guy Had a 100-Pound Weight Loss and Got Ripped in Less Than a Year