American man lost 208 kg thanks to bicycling and without surgery

Often, people who are highly obese see no other way to lose weight other than through surgery. This can range from liposuction to gastric reduction surgery. In fact, you can beat obesity with physical activity and a proper diet. The story of 33-year-old Jared Barger from Southern California is proof of that.

Before weight loss

Jared was a obese child from childhood and did not like sports. As an adult, he became a drummer. Together with a musical group, he often toured the United States. This lifestyle contributed to rapid overweight gain – the musician consumed a lot of alcohol while traveling and did not watch what he ate.

“Basically, I did everything to gain weight,” says the American. On top of that, he had thyroid problems that he didn’t ignore. The excess weight led to Jared’s poor health and only then decided to see a doctor.

“If I want to live, I have to get healthy.”

In the doctor’s office, Jared stood on the scale – they showed a weight of 301 kg. Before turning to specialists, he had no idea that he weighed so much, because most home scales do not show figures over 160 kg. The man was shocked.

“If I want to live, I have to get healthy,” he thought at that moment. The doctor said that coping with obesity in such a case could only be done through surgery. But Jared was determined to deal with the disease on his own.

Changes in nutrition

After a visit to the doctor, the musician began to monitor his diet. He sat on a strict low-carbohydrate diet, began to count calories. In addition, he decided to monitor the state of the thyroid gland. Jared refused artificial sweeteners and sugar.

“We are filling our body with things it doesn’t need,” he realized at that moment. With the help of a strict diet, which the American observed thanks to willpower, he lost the first 136 kg.

Victory over obesity

By that point, Barger hadn’t ridden a bike since he was a kid. When he was visiting a friend in Colorado, he decided to rent an “iron horse”.

“It was amazing. I felt freer than ever as I rode around the neighborhood alone,” admits Jared. He began to use his new favorite hobby to lose weight. Every day the man rode 40-50 kilometers. He did not make exceptions for a single day, even if it rained.

The American admits that he even became addicted to cycling. By combining cycling and proper nutrition, he was able to lose up to 93 kg.

Defeating obesity has improved Jared’s life. “Losing 208 pounds has improved and simplified my drumming. I can now play much faster than before,” says the musician. He also has a cousin who is a basketball player. Before, the American was always fatter and slower than his brother. Now – it’s the opposite. Jared looks thin and fast against his background. Most likely, in the future, the man will have an operation to remove excess skin, but he is determined to stay healthy and keep in shape.