Think about that for a minute.

My prom tuxedo had to be special ordered. At 18 years old, I was wearing a size 56 pant and a size 54 jacket. I could barely climb a flight of stairs without getting winded. Of course, I had tried everything I could think of to lose weight. I cut calories, ate low-fat food, went low carb…nothing seemed to work.

Worst of all, I was in a vicious cycle. I’d try something, fail, and eat those feelings of failure away. Food was my best friend and my worst enemy. The relationship kept growing increasingly toxic. I hated and loved it simultaneously. I just couldn’t get control.

Fast forward a few years to the eye doctor’s visit that would literally change my life.

Yeah. An eye doctor. Wild, huh?

While looking at the results of a retinal scan, the eye doctor pointed out to me the various shades of the veins and arteries in my eye. “That’s plaque,” he said. It could clot. Cause me to go blind. Or, even break off, travel to my brain, and kill me.

The room went white.

I left that appointment and knew I had to change. My life literally depended on it.

I hired a trainer. Worked through my issues with food. Dealt with my self-image and self-esteem. It’s been a long road full of ups-and-downs. Over the past 10 years, I’ve lost over 100-lbs. I just ran my seventh full marathon. I’ve completed a triathlon. The “fat kid” has done way more than anyone could have ever imagined.