Extreme Weight Loss's Dan 'Panda' Smith reaches his goal weight in THREE MONTHS

Home Top

Obama hits the golf course (where else?) with NBA legends Ray Allen and Alonzo Mourning on his vacation to Martha's Vineyard
Bumble Bee to pay out $6million after employee was accidentally cooked in a 270-degree oven with six tons of canned tuna
'Aliens tried to save America from nuclear war': UFOs shot at missiles in White Sands to protect Earth, claims former astronaut
Three new women accuse Bill Cosby of sex assault and rape including one former actress who says the comic told her she was 'blessed' with his bodily fluids like holy water
Former President Jimmy Carter, 90, reveals he has liver cancer that it has spread through his body
Slaying of infamous 'San Quentin 6' member triggers massive 70-inmate riot at the New Folsom Prison leaving 11 convicts stabbed
'Shocking, illegal, and abusive': Kelly Rutherford slams judge who 'arrested' her children before forcing them back to her ex-husband in Monaco
How son abandoned by his birth parents after a bacterial infection left a gaping hole in his face tracked down and confronted his biological mother 38 years later
$LeAnn Rimes and her husband Eddie Cibrian dine out in Beverly Glen\\n\\nFeaturing: LeAnn Rimes\\nWhere: Los Angeles, California, United States\\nWhen: 31 Jul 2015\\nCredit: 3rd Eye/WENN.COM$ LeAnn Rimes takes 40 PILLS a day as part of her beauty regimen and to keep psoriasis under control
Pimp my ride! Kris Jenner gives her Range Rover a slick makeover leaving boyfriend Corey Gamble to drive her backup car... a Bentley convertible
Man reveals how easy it is for pedophiles to prey on teen girls via social media by luring three out of their homes while their parents watch on in horror
Earliest discovered recording of Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech reveals Declaration of Independence reference may have been added later
Mentally ill Kentucky camper found ALIVE along side of the highway after spending 11 days in the wilderness and wandering around the first ten with nothing to eat
Mother burst into a chapel yelling 'I have the devil inside' after 'slashing her 3-month-old baby boy's throat in a cemetery'
Don't smoke and drive: New app can tell you whether you're too stoned to get behind the wheel
Rand Paul hits Trump with new video showing him praising Hillary as 'a terrific woman' and saying 'the economy does better under the Democrats'
Megyn Kelly 'has been getting death threats from Trump supporters' after Fox failed to defend her in feud with the GOP front-runner
Women tweet updates about their periods to Donald Trump after he suggested Fox host Megyn Kelly was tough on him during the GOP debate because she was menstruating
Hillary launches desperate pushback on servergate as campaign pleads its case with supporters - and Washington whispers that Joe Biden is ready for investigation to crush her
Now Hillary feels the Bern! Sanders is ahead in New Hampshire - and that was before investigators found out she had 'Top Secret' information on her private server
'My kids were growing to be monsters': Father's twisted excuse for 'shooting dead ex-girlfriend, her husband and six children'
Tragedy as three-year-old boy rescued from house blaze dies after following his hero father BACK INTO the burning home
Grandmother with growth the size of a baby HIPPO is finally able to play with grandson following pioneering surgery to remove it
'You don't need a size-zero body to sell magazines': Redbook features 'real' women of all shapes and sizes on the cover of its fashion issue for the first time in history

Dan 'Panda' Smith, 27, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, went from 313lbs to a lean 187lbs over the course of one year
John Robinson, 45, from Waldorf, Maryland, slacked off during his workouts and ate junk food while at boot camp
The former professional football player started his journey weighing 531lbs, and while he lost 125lbs in three months, he goal was 140lbs
When Chris Powell checked on him at home during phase two, the show's trainer learned that he hadn't lost any weight and stopped working with him
Eight months later, John surprised Chris at Panda's final weigh-in, revealing that he lost an additional 90lbs on his own

Published: 11:42 EST, 12 August 2015 | Updated: 14:43 EST, 12 August 2015

View
comments

A former camp counselor has shattered an Extreme Weight Loss record, losing 109lbs to reach his goal weight faster than any former cast member during the ABC show's 90-day boot camp - while his co-star became the first client trainer Chris Powell walked away from.

Dan 'Panda' Smith, 27, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, overcame his emotional eating and lost a history-making 109lbs in the first three months of his transformation. At the end of his year-long journey, Panda, who is 5'7", went from 313lbs to a lean 187lbs, getting his body fat percentage lower than his trainer's.

And while Panda was breaking records, his co-star John Robinson, 45, from Waldorf, Maryland, was neglecting his workouts and sneaking junk food. The former football player didn't get serious about his weight loss until Chris gave up on him, and after a year, John surprised the trainer by revealing that he pushed himself to lose another 90lbs after leaving the structure of the show.

Scroll down for video

Unbelievable transformation: Dan 'Panda' Smith, 27, from Grand Rapids, Michigan weighed 313lbs (left) before getting down to 187lbs (right) after a year of working with Extreme Weight Loss trainer Chris Powell

Surprising new body: John Robinson, 45, from Waldorf, Maryland, went from 531lbs (left) to 316lbs (right) over the course of year after Chris walked away from him because he was sneaking food and blowing off workouts

Although Panda and John and had completely different journeys and struggles, both men transformed their bodies and overcame their emotional issues that caused them to turn to food in first place.

At the start of the show we learn that Panda was adopted by an American family at the age of three after he was abandoned as a baby at an orphanage in South Korea. The outdoor educator realized he was gay when he was in sixth grade, and while grappling with his sexuality, he was tormented by his brother David.

'There were definitely signs that I was different,' he told the cameras. 'My childhood was definitely hard. My brother was physically and mentally abusive to me.'

Panda recalled how David would shove him in an ice chest and put cinder blocks on top of it so he couldn't get out, and his older brother even chased him around the house with a loaded gun.

He noted that he went off on his own when he was 18, yet his brother is almost 30, and his parents are still taking care of him.

Sobbing man builds inner power on ABC's Extreme Weight Loss

Serious motivation: At the start of his journey, Panda admitted that he sometimes felt like his adoptive parents didn't love him, and he turned to food for comfort

Eating his feelings: In addition to his obesity, Panda was also battling past traumas from his childhood

'They will defend him to the death,' Panda said. 'At times I feel loved by my parents, but other times I don't.'

Panda said he has confronted his parents about the abuse he suffered as a child, but their memories are very different when it comes to his relationship with his brother.

He explained that he doesn't always feel like their son and eating unhealthily was a way to cope with his loneliness.

'I decided to go into the camping world because it gave me that sanctuary, and I want to give that sanctuary to other kids as well,' he explained.

Panda was working with his campers when Chris surprised him dressed as a bear. At first, Panda thought it was one of the other staff members messing with him, but he was thrilled to learn that it was Chris.

The teacher had his first weigh-in in front of his kids, learning that he weighed 313lbs. While Chris gave him the goal of losing 90lbs in three months, Panda changed is goal be a 100lb weight loss at the encouragement of his campers.

Tough start: Panda was adopted by an American family at the age of three after he was abandoned as a baby at an orphanage in South Korea

Identity crisis: While Panda loves his parents, he explained that growing up he didn't always feel like he was there son

One of Panda's long time campers broke down in tears when he left, and after sharing a hug with the boy, he noted that the most difficult thing was saying goodbye to the kids.

Viewers also got to meet John, who revealed that he started gaining weight after an injury shattered his dreams of being a professional athlete.

In college, John played football at Winston-Salem State University and worked to get ready to impress the scouts at rookie camp. After two seasons in the Arena Football League with the New Jersey Red Dogs, a back injury put John on the sidelines for good.

'I lost my dream at that my point. I was really depressed after that,' he explained. 'That was my main focus in life becoming was to become a professional athlete.'

John stopped going to the gym and said he put on 35 to 45lbs within a couple of months. He went on to join the military, meeting his eldest son's mother in San Antonio in 1990. When he got orders to go to Korea, neither of them was aware that she was pregnant.

He finally learned about his son Anthony two and a half years ago after Anthony's grandmother contacted him on Facebook.

'I want to know him. I have reached out to him,' John explained. 'I don't want his first image to be of me this big.'

Past trauma: Panda revealed that his older brother David (left) would torment him, locking him in an ice bin and chasing him around the house with a loaded gun

hard to handle: He also explained that he grew up feeling different because he realized he is gay when he was in middle school

Who to believe? Panda said he has told his mom (right) about his older brother's aggression toward him, but she said that David has always denied it

John was also dealing with the death of his mother. He noted that she too struggled with her weight, and she desperately wanted him to lose weight.

The registered nurse was at work when Chris pretended to be a patient and hit on a hospital bed under a sheet. The whole hospital helped the trainer pull of his surprise, and when John pulled back the sheet Chris revealed that he was about to embark on the transformation of a lifetime.

When John took Chris home to meet his wife and kids, they all screamed with joy. But the excitement was short lived. Chris immediately had John take off his shirt in front of his family for his first weigh-in.

John noted that it was difficult having his wife and children know that he weighed 531lbs.

'It is very scary,' his wife Crystal told the cameras. 'We've had conversations where I told him I want to grow old together.'

Chris gave John the goal of losing 140lbs during boot camp.

After meeting with Chris, both John and Panda headed to the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center in Denver for 90-days of hard training.

Safe place: As a teen, camp served as a sanctuary for Panda, and that is why he became an camp counselor

Needing a change: The former camp counselor and outdoor educator wanted to transform his body, so he could be a good example for his students

On the day of John's first workout, Chris wanted him to get back on the football field, the 'place where he gave up his dreams'.

And Chris enlisted football star LeSean McCoy to help give John the right motivation. The running back explained to John that he was the number one high school football player in the United States until he got hurt.

LeSean explained that he was also depressed and gained weight. When he started prep school, he went from being the best in the country to second string, but LeSean explained to John that he pulled himself out of it by working hard.

Chris wanted John to push LeSean across the football field on a sled, but he noticed that the nurse surprised himself - and not in a good way.

While John always considered himself a football player, he was facing the reality that he is now over 500lbs and extremely out of shape.

Just when it looked like John was going to give up, LeSean asked him about who is motivating him to succeed. Once John revealed that he was doing this for his late mother, he found the champion within himself and kept pushing while LeSean yelled: 'Do this for mom!'

Meanwhile, Panda's physical revealed that although he weighed 313lbs, he was only 36 per cent boy fat - when most people his size are 50 per cent fat.

Big surprise: Chris dressed up as a bear so he could sneak up on Panda and tell him that he was chosen for the show

Moment of truth: Panda's weigh-in revealed that he weighed 313lbs and Chris gave him the goal of a 90lb weight loss in 90-days. However, Panda changed the goal to 100lbs after a camper suggested it

Despite being obese, Panda had 190lbs of lean tissue.

'I just assumed it was all fat,' he told the cameras. 'Finding out that I had a lot of muscle underneath was really reassuring.'

After receiving the great news, Chris revealed that Panda could hit his year-end goal at the three month mark.

And while Panda was on track to break records, John learned that what he thought was a blister on his foot was actually a neuropathic diabetic foot ulcer that could lead to amputation if untreated.

John had to keep pressure off of his toe for a month, which meant Chris had to get creative when it came to his workouts.

Physically, John and Panda couldn't be in two more different places.

Chris noted that Panda conquers everything that he throws at him, and because of his physical strength, he took him to visit professional strongman Brian Shaw.

'Panda's physical power is nothing short of amazing,' Chris explained. 'He can get to where I am [psychically] in boot camp in 90 days. That's a first for me.'

However, Chris was concerned about Panda's physical strength.

Hard to handle: Meanwhile, John knew that he desperately needed to lose weight and get back in shape

Facing reality: The former football player explained that he used to be extremely muscular, and he couldn't believe that this was his body

'He breaks down and sobs through every single work out,' the trainer explained.

During one emotional session, Panda sobbed while revealing that his brother chased him around the house with a loaded gun.

'Why don't I feel strong?' Panda cried.

Chris knew Panda's physical transformation would never be complete if he didn't belt his emotional demons as well.

'Do you realize you could crush your brother,' Chris asked him.

Chris then started packing weight onto a bar bell. Although the amount of weight intimidated Panda, the coach convinced him that he could lift it, making him yell that he is strong.

'It hurt. It hurt real bad but I did it,' Panda said.

John was also taking emotional strides, reaching out to Anthony and inviting him to his welcome back party after boot camp.

Chris was proud of John for reaching out noting that true transformation is not about diet and exercise, it is about matter of the heart

Former star: John explained that started gaining weight after he hurt his back, shattering his dreams of being a professional athlete

Different man: John started turning to food, and the more weight he gained, the harder it was for him to be motivated to get his body back to what it was

He explained that he wished Panda would reach out to his brother, but he knew he wouldn't do it on his own. Chris kept calling his brother David, but he wouldn't answer the trainer's phone calls.

At Panda's 90-day weigh-in, Chris was amazed by his progress.

'You legitimately could be the very first person that I ever worked with who finished in 90 days,' he noted. 'You look like most of my participants do at the nine month mark.'

After Panda got on the scale it was revealed that he shattered his weight loss goal, losing 109lbs and 35 per cent of his body fat in just three months.

Chris explained that at his current weight of 204lbs, Panda didn't have any more weight to lose. He would be taking him to visit the plastic surgeon to see if he would qualify for skin removal surgery after only 90 days.

'This was the first time that I was truly proud of what I had done,' Panda said. 'My hard work really paid off.'

New hobbies: The former athlete found comfort in laying on the couch and eating in front of the television

Meanwhile, John's weight loss completely halted - and Chris couldn't figure out why.

John swore up and down that he was following his work outs and eating healthy, so Chris had his metabolic rate tested.

It turned out that John's metabolic weight was extremely high, meaning he was already burning 2,800 calories a day without doing any additional work.

'If he is burning that many calories why isn't he losing weight?' Chris asked. 'John should be losing a pound a day, but he isn't losing a pound a day.

'I like to think that I could trust my clients, but things aren't adding up.'

To get to the bottom of what was going on, Chris hired a polygraph expert to give John and lie detector test, and soon the former football star was confessing to eating junk food and whole pizzas by himself - in addition to slacking off during his workouts.

New found motivation: John explained that his mother (left) recently passed away. She always struggled with her weight, and he knew it was her wish to get his own weight under control

Chris wanted him to show some sort of emotion when he confronted him, but John gave him nothing. At his 90-day weigh-in John had lost 125lbs - missing his goal of 140lbs.

'I know it sounds crazy that I am beating John up for only losing 125lbs which is a lot better than I thought he was going to do,' Chris explained, but he was still upset by his clients lack of dedication.

'It's tough for me to tell if he really wants it or not,' Chris said.

Even though Panda was done losing weight, his journey wasn't over. Chris took him to meet Dr Michael Gordon, who confirmed that he was ready for skin removal surgery.

'I never had anybody qualify for surgery at the three month mark,' Chris said, but he noted that he'll never be fully transformed until he has closure with his parents and brother.

Chris told Panda that before removed the weight of his excess skin, he had to get rid of the emotional burden that was weight him down. He sent him home immediately to confront his family, so he could finally move on.

Panda said he felt a lot of anxiety and noted that he just wanted his family to accept him for who he is.

When he went to his house, his mother told him he looked like a movie star, but the pleasant reunion was short lived.

Extended family: Two-and-half-years ago, John learned that he had fathered a son in 1990 when he was serving in the military. John didn't know about his eldest son for more than 20 years

Different motivation: While tearfully looking at photos of Anthony (pictured), John explained that he didn't want to be so overweight the first time he met him in person

Panda confronted his parents and told him how he hurt he was about how they always defended David, his tormentor.

His mother explained that she never thought David's treatment was okay, revealing that she felt like a failure as parent.

'You are always my son. You will always be my son. Nothing will ever change that,' she said. 'Every day I live with the fact that you have a deep eating disorder because I wasnt the parent I should have been.

Panda said that his mother's confession was a 'healing moment for him'.

He also got closure when he went to talk to David, who explained that he didn't remember all of the things he had done to him because of how much medication he was on.

'I don't think mom and dad knew what to do with me because I was so hyper,' he confessed. 'I probably was on close to 30 to 40 different medications. They were pumping me full of so many drugs I couldn't even see straight.'

David said that he knew he was mentally and verbally abusive towards Panda, noting that after he was taken off 'all that crap medication' he felt horrible about the things he had done.

After David apologized, Panda said that he would like to move forward with his older brother and finally build a relationship with him.

'I needed to know that he was regretful for what he did to me,' Panda explained.

Total shock: John, who works as a nurse, was surprised by Chris when he was at the hospital

No more hiding: Chris had John do is first weigh-in shirtless, and in front of his family

When John was leaving boot camp, he vowed to 'smash' any goal Chris made for him the second time around, and the his trainer was thrilled with his new attitude.

On his way back to Maryland, John explained that he was nervous and excited to meet his eldest son, however, when he got home, Anthony wasn't there.

John's wife gushed about his 'new confidence and new swag', and while he was catching up with his family, he heard an unexpected knock on the door.

It was Anthony, who was 23 and nervously meeting his dad for the first time.

The two embraced, and John took him to meet his half brothers and sister, calling it one of the happiest days of his life.

Anthony even invited John to see him play at one of his college basketball games.

But when it came to sticking to his workout plans, John was failing.

Chris explained that he usually leaves people alone in phase two, but he hired a private investigator to watch John.

Still fighting: Although Panda reached his weight loss goal in three months, he revealed that wanted to get down to 190lbs so he would have a smaller percentage of body fat than Chris

Student becomes the master: After it was revealed that Panda weighed 187lbs, Chris got down on his knees and bowed down to his former client

The private investigator revealed that John was blowing off his workouts - and was even having his trainer lie to Chris for him.

Sitting outside of John's house, Chris prepared to go confront him, revealing that if he lies to him, he is done.

When Chris surprised John at home, he noticed that were pizzas boxes and chip wrappers all over the kitchen.

John denied they were his, but Chris explained that he just knows the answers he is supposed to give.

After John got on the scale, Chris learned that he hadn't lost a pound since the month he has been home.

'I don;t know if I can be a coach for you anymore,' Chris told him. 'The root of transformation is desire. You have to want it more than anything else, and I don't know if you do.'

Chris wised him luck, and while he wanted John to fight for it, he just walked him to the door and said goodbye.

The coach then went to see Panda off before his skin removal surgery.

Total surprise: When Chris had walked out on John, who wasn't following his fitness plan, the former athlete changed his ways. After losing more weight, John asked to see Chris in Los Angeles

Mr Muscles: Chris was thrilled that John went on to lose another 90lbs on his own, going from 531lbs to 316lbs in one year

'It's amazing how transformation works,' Chris noted. 'Some people are ready and some people aren't.'

And Chris couldn't believe that in four months, both of his clients were done - for vastly different reasons.

At Panda's final weigh-in, he told the audience that he spent 20 years felling like he wasn't good enough, but that had all changed during his year-long journey.

Panda also revealed that he found a new passion in body building. While he technically didn't have any more weight to lose, he revealed that his new goal was to have a lower percentage of body fat than Chris, who was at seven per cent.

In order to beat Chris, Panda had to weigh 190lbs or less. When the scale revealed that Panda was 187lbs, Chris got down on his knees and bowed down to his student.

After Panda gave one of his friends, his former camp counselor, a one week scholarship to boot camp, Chris revealed that there was another surprise.

John had contacted him and wanted to fly to Los Angeles to have a reveal of his own. Chris explained that he hadn't seen John in eight months since he walked out on him, so he didn't know what to expect.

Manly physiques: At the end of the show, John, Chris and Panda flexed and struck a pose for the audience

As John walked on to the state to show off his own muscular physique, Chris kept yelling: 'Are you kidding me!'

'When I left John back in Maryland I thought he would backslide, and today he proved me wrong,' he explained.

'I owe you an apology,' he told John. 'I didn't think you wanted it for yourself.'

But John explained that he needed that 'kick in the butt' and wouldn't change anything that happened.

For his weigh in, John took off his button down shirt to show off his arm muscles, explaining: 'If I remember correctly, we do this with our shirts off.'

At the start of his journey, John weighed 531lbs, and the last time Chris saw him, he clocked in at 406lbs.

After John got on the scale, Chris learned that he lost another 90lbs on his own, without him or the structure of the show, weighing 316lbs.

'This has been a very humbling experience for me tonight,' Chris said. 'Panda is leaner than I am and you proved me wrong in ever sense of the word.'

In celebration of their success, Chris and Panda joined John and took their shirts off so they could pose in a 'triple flex'.