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A 475-pound man starts walking with a few friends to lose weight — drops 198 pounds in 1 year
Even complete strangers gave him support. He's now happy and healthy.
Cedric Jackson
01.23.20

With New Year’s coms a lot of resolutions. At the top of the list…losing weight. While some people seem to have no problem dropping unwanted pounds, others struggle big time. This is especially true for individuals with health problems and those with a lot of extra weight. For most of us, it all comes down to making better life choices.

One of the challenges of losing weight is doing it by yourself. Let’s be honest, it’s hard to feel motivated and inspired when you don’t have a good support system. For one man, he was fortunate enough to have old and new friends standing behind him in his journey to get rid of his unwanted weight.

Vance weighed in at a whopping 475 pounds

Carrying around that much weight makes simple tasks difficult. Not only did he struggle to move around independently, but he was also putting his health at risk, especially his heart. This man knew he had to do something but what? That’s when a plan came together.

YouTube Screenshot/DOP Yoga
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YouTube Screenshot/DOP Yoga

Inspired by an unlikely source

Of all people, Vance’s inspiration came from comedian Bert Kreischer. This person posted a challenge in October, prompting people to say “yes” to make changes in their lives…regardless of what it was. For whatever reason, that message hit Vance hard. So, he decided to challenge himself to lose weight.

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He posted a heartfelt video

Vance created a video specifically directed at Kreischer. He told him that he’d been following his podcast and felt inspired to change his life forever. Come to find out, this comedian had started walking and running as a way to lose weight himself. As Vance stated, “If you can do it, I’m going to do.”

YouTube Screenshot/DOP Yoga
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/DOP Yoga

365 days to achieve his goal

With a videotape rolling, Vance shamelessly exposed himself to the world on November 19, 2017. When his scales read “475 pounds,” you could see the look of disbelief on his face. But instead of feeling defeated before he even began his journey, Vance responded with, “There’s the starting point.”

YouTube Screenshot/DOP Yoga
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/DOP Yoga

It all began with daily walks

Along with friends, Vance walked religiously every day. This man was determined not to fail. But six days into the process, he again weighed himself. Rather than losing, he’d gained three pounds. You’d think at that point, he might give up. Not Vance. He was more determined than ever. With his story now public, something amazing happened…every day, the number of people who showed up at the part to walk with him grew.

YouTube Screenshot/DOP Yoga
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/DOP Yoga

He got the boost he needed

Now with an army behind him, Vance felt more motivated than ever. One week later – he had lost 10 pounds. By March, he’d dropped 75 pounds. But the true revelation came during his 365-day weigh in. Vance had lost a total of 198 pounds. He was now a shell of the man he was before.

YouTube Screenshot/DOP Yoga
Source:
YouTube Screenshot/DOP Yoga

Vance gives credit to Kreischer, his family, and of course, all the strangers who came out to walk with him. These people, who he didn’t even know, encouraged him when he needed it most. Without everyone’s support, he wouldn’t have achieved his goal. Now, he’s happy and healthy. Vance’s story is a good reminder that if you set your mind to something, you can do it. Challenge yourself.

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Source: YouTube

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