An Instagram Post Motivated This Guy to Lose 55 Pounds in Six Months

He hadnt always been that way: Very active as a kid, hed played sports and only got overweight in his junior year of high school. He worked out, but without the right diet and training regimen, he got big, but pretty fluffy. Partying in college didnt help, so by the time he finished school, things had gotten out of control. I thought I could eat whatever I wanted and still look good since I was skinny as a kid, he says, but it caught up to me as I got older.

That Instagram post motivated him to change. He finally researched how to diet and train, starting out with an half-hour of calisthenics (dips, pull-ups, pushups, sit ups), followed by an hour of cardio. When he started, he could do three dips, one pull-up, and ten pushups; three laps around the track left him gassed. He pushed ontwo weeks later, he noticed his clothes were looser. He could do it.

He stopped eating fast food and takeout, dialing in a diet of high protein, low carbs, and moderate fat to help him lose weight and retain muscle. He ate protein and veggies with every meal, and a small serving of cereal and peanut butter before bed.

After six months of calisthenics and cardio, and a new diet, hed gone from 255 pounds down to 20055 pounds dropped. Hed halved his body fat to 15 percent. That left him with a different problem. After I lost the weight I was kind of skinny fat, with lots of loose skin, he says, so I decided to pick up powerlifting routines instead. Hes bulked up to 210, with ten to twelve percent body fat.

As soon as I saw results, he says, I fell in love and it became second nature to me. Hed get up in the morning and workout. I wanted to lose weight more than anything and be fit, look good, and be happy. Seeing other successful transformations convinced him it was possible.

How This Guy Lost 55 Pounds in Six Months BusinessInsider USA Images

His family was amazed how quickly he lost weight, saying he looked like a different person. Friends came to him for advice. Shy and quiet growing up, hes found new confidence after dropping the pounds. Hes started dating, and has even considered modeling. Hes powerlifting regularly and might start competing when he gets a little stronger.

Gibbons says patience is the key. Nothing happens overnight, so you have to be consistent, he says. A simple and efficient workout is easier to stick with for the long haul. And while a scale can be motivating, taking weekly pictures really help to highlight changes. Most of all, dont beat yourself up over small lapses. No ones perfect, he says. Youre going to slip upbut you just have to hop back on the horse.