Obese man who weighed 350lbs and ate fast food twice a day loses HALF his body weight after ditching fatty meals - and now spends his time running half-marathons 

• Brandon Nabors, 30, from Holly Springs, Mississippi, started his weight loss journey in 2012
• After Brandon vowed to lose weight, he started exercising and traded fast food for lean protein, fruit and veggies
• The 6'0" runner now weighs 188lbs and competes in half-marathon races throughout the year 

By Erica Tempesta For Dailymail.com

Published: 16:10 EST, 8 October 2015 | Updated: 02:54 EST, 9 October 2015

An obese man who became ‘disgusted' with the massive amount of weight he gained after gorging on unhealthy food in his college cafeteria and constantly partying has shed 162lbs and started running half-marathons.

Brandon Nabors, 30, from Holly Springs, Mississippi, put on more than 100lbs as a student at the University of Southern Mississippi, and after his graduation his weight continued to spiral out of control for five years until he reached 350lbs in 2012. And it was only then that he finally realized something needed to change.

'People don’t realize how mentally and emotionally difficult it is once you lose the weight,' he told Yahoo Health of reaching 188lbs. 'There are times I look in the mirror and see “fat Brandon”. But I have learned to love myself and not be judgmental about my size because I have accomplished an amazing feat.' 

Amazing results: Brandon Nabors, 30, from Holly Springs, Mississippi, went from 350lbs (left) to 188lbs (right) with diet and exercise 

Making changed: Brandon traded junk food (left) for regular exercise (right) and a healthy diet 

While Brandon indulged in partying and junk food in college, he continued his unhealthy habits well after graduation - eating fast food two to three times a day and never exercising. 

Brandon explained that he had do a 'complete overhaul' of his diet when he started his journey. He ditched fast food for three well-balance meals and two healthy snacks, relying on lean meats such as turkey and chicken, as well as fruits and vegetables, for nutrition. 

'One habit that I swear by is to ensure that I have my meals and snacks throughout the day, so that I don’t end up consuming too much food at one time,' he explained.  

Freshman 15: Brandon, who lost a total of 162lbs, said he started gaining weight in college because of the junk food that was readily available to him at his school's cafeteria 

Bad habits: Brandon said he would eat fast food two to three times a day - and yet he never exercised

New man: Brandon admitted that he still struggles his eating in social settings because he is constantly being invited to dinners and work events where food is abundant 

Brandon also started incorporating exercise into his daily routine with the help of his fraternity brother Eric, who is a personal trainer. 

'Although I decided to lose weight for myself, I relied on the motivation of others to keep me from giving up,' he explained. 'My friends and family could see the commitment I made to drastically improving my life and they helped me stay on task.'  

Brandon now runs three to five times per week and is a member of the running club Black Men Run, competing in half-marathons throughout the year.

Although he is now a healthy 188lbs, Brandon admits that he still struggles with his eating in social settings because he is constantly being invited to dinners and work events where large portions of food are being served. 

Runners high: After losing the weight, Brandon now enjoys to compete in half-marathon races throughout the year 

Fit and trim: Brandon explained that his fraternity brother Eric (not pictured) helped him to start exercising when he started his weight loss journey 

Dapper dude: Brandon, who now looks fit and trim in a suit, said uses a cell phone app to look at old pictures of himself to remind himself what life was like before he got healthy

In order to combat this constant temptation, he explained that he eats before he goes, so he isn't forced into making poor choices out of hunger. 

Although Brandon said he refuses to indulge daily, he does occasionally allow himself a 'cheat meal' so he doesn't 'go completely insane'.

He noted that he tries to stay off the scale so he doesn't beat himself up over gaining a few pounds, however, he does use a cell phone app to look at old social media photos of himself as a reminder of what he used to look like before he got healthy. 

'The initial weight loss was only half the battle, because maintaining and improving is also very difficult,' he said. 'I have to constantly tell myself that I could regain the weight as quickly as I lost it.'

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