Two Crucial Diet Changes Helped This Guy Lose More Than 100 Pounds
After years focusing on work and neglecting old exercise habits, Jake Patricio found himself at 349 pounds
He made a dietary change, embracing keto and intermittent fasting
Then he got back to the gym and the activity he loved: team sports
Life wasn’t always sedentary for Jake Patricio. He used to be extremely active. He played sports through high school and college. He worked out. But since graduating, Patricio had focused on work. Now, he didn’t get outdoors much. He ate like he was still a college athlete and went out on weekends to drink. The weight crept on, and he began noticing friends treat him less seriously, assuming he was capable of fewer activities. Soon, his social interactions and mood declined. He was 349 pounds and would spend most of his time at work or at home. He was distressed and unhappy.
Patricio’s one-hundred-pound weight loss journey began at the office, after he stepped on a scale used to weigh pallets. He was shocked at what he saw. He had noticed walking upstairs had gotten harder. Sometimes family members would ask if he was alright when his breathing became labored. But he didn't never realize how bad things had gotten. Three-hundred-and-forty-nine pounds stared him in the face and made him angry. “I was just upset with myself for getting to this size and being so unhappy,” says Patricio. “I wanted to fix it.”
Patricio began a three-phase diet change. Phase 1 was a strict keto diet, eating only breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a protein shake after workouts. Phase 2 was a low-carb diet with intermittent fasting: two meals, one at noon, one at 5:30 PM. As the weight fell off, Patricio transitioned to phase 3, which now includes a low-carb 1,800 calorie diet. One day a week he allows himself 2,500 calories. “I kept telling myself I would only see results if I did what I could to stick to my plan.”
As he instituted his new diet, Patricio also started hitting the gym three days a week. He realized his strength had greatly declined since college. Though others might focus first on cardio, Patricio decided to regain muscular strength. He went with a “push/pull/legs” routine every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. As his strength returned, Patricio began capping off each workout with a one mile run on the treadmill.
After a few months, Patricio plateaued.
“I realized I stayed in shape in college because I played a team sport,” he says. He began practicing with a local rugby team, which helped add in sprints and more sustained cardio.
Though the plan was working, Patricio found the discipline challenging. “Consistency is hard. There were days after work where I wanted to just lie in bed and sleep. There were also nights where I would lay in bed hungry. The only thing that kept me going was knowing I would only see results if I stuck to it.”
Patricio never had a goal weight in mind. He just wanted to get in better shape. Four months after starting, however, he went down a notch in his belt. And then another. He began feeling more confident, as he had proved to himself that he could stick to his plan and improve his well-being.”
Patricio has now lost over one-hundred pounds. “Mentally I feel much better and positive overall,” he says. “Physically I am less fatigued, and my strength has increased. I feel happier, I look better, but most importantly: I’m not done yet!”
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