'I got fit while watching TV': Overweight man whose mom died of obesity aged 42 chronicles his own weight loss
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A 206-pound man whose mother died of obesity aged 42 decided to radically change the way he lived; taking photos of himself along the way to watch his progress.
Now at 165lbs and still losing weight, 33-year-old Matthew Mullins, says a healthier diet and exercising at least 25minutes per day has given him a brand new body.
'The tone of my body switched after I began working out while we watch TV in the evenings,' the California photographer told MailOnine.
Matthew Mullins, a 206-pound California resident whose mother died of obesity aged 42, decided to radically change the way he lived; taking photos of himself along the way to watch his progress
While Mr Mullins now walks around shirtless so much he says his friends ask when he'll cover up, he admits he used to regularly show up late to yoga class on purpose.
'That way I could be in the very back of
the class where no one would watch me,' he told CNN. 'At 206lbs,
being only five-foot-ten-inches, I felt like I really looked stupid.'
It was last
year, when the part-time college student
went in for his regular checkup, that he found out he was in the beginning stage of hypertension. His doctor recommended he start taking blood pressure medication.
'I didn't want to end up sick,' he said. 'My mom died at the age of 42 after struggling with obesity and high blood pressure. I knew she wouldn't want me to go down this path.'
Now at 165lbs and still losing weight, 33-year-old Matthew Mullins, says a healthier diet and exercising at least 25minutes per day has given him a brand new body
Mr Mullins, who is gay, admitted that being overweight also hindered his romantic life.
'If
you are overweight in our community, you become invisible,' Mr Mullins said.
'Out at a bar or party guys would
talk to me sometimes, but when I lost the weight the conversation took
on a really different tone.
'It's not right to exclude people because
they are overweight, but that's the reality.'
The first step on Mr Mullin's weight loss journey was downloading an app called Loseit!, a calorie-counter program.
Mr Mullins has gotten so into exercise that he created a group called Hashtag Run, where a he and a group of friends have tackled local 5K marathons to raise money for various charities, including autism
'It's
awesome -- you can scan any bar code you have on food in the house, and
it helps you keep track of what you are eating,' he explained, adding that he aimed to eliminate sugar and fast food from his diet.
'My
family was very Irish, and we were more into potatoes and bread and
meat,' he said. 'Now I try to avoid all that white.'
Mr Mullins ate yogurt or rice pudding for breakfast, lunch became a vegetable-filled soup or a sandwich with lean meat, and dinner was a chicken
breast and rice that he cooked himself.
With his strict diet, he lost 20lbs in ten weeks. He then began running outside and joined a boot camp at his college because a gym was out of his budget.
'It really was not fun at first,' he admitted. 'It was hilarious how hard it was running just a mile. I felt like it was ten. But gradually it got easier.'
With his strict diet, he lost 20lbs in ten weeks. He then began running outside and joined a boot camp at his college because a gym was out of his budget
He also exercised at home. 'If I'm watching TV, I push the table aside and pull out my exercise ball or lift weights,' he said, adding that he can run three-and-a-half miles in 25 minutes. 'Anyone could find 25 minutes in their day to exercise,' he insisted.
His weekly pictures also kept him motivated.
'I've got so much more confidence and energy, and the best part is I'm so much more comfortable with myself,' Mr Mullins said. 'I'm 33 years old and now I feel like I could live for at least 30 more. I didn't really feel like that before.'
Mr Mullins has gotten so into exercise that he created a group called Hashtag Run, where a he and a group of friends have tackled local 5K marathons to raise money for various charities, including autism. He has also joined AIDS/LifeCycle with a team called The Payasos.
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Lapis Safeiros, Fullerton, United States, 33 minutes ago
Happy for you! Keep up the great health! :)