Man sheds 25st but 'still looks like a fat guy' as he's left with a big problem
A man has undergone a staggering weight loss transformation, shedding an incredible 25 stone, but now faces paying a daunting £230,000 to remove his excess skin.
At one point, Cole Prochaska reached a peak weight of 42 stone, wearing size 8XL clothes while consuming McDonald's breakfasts, pizza, burgers, and downing over two litres of fizzy drinks every day as part of an unhealthy diet.
However, by swapping his fast-food diet for healthier options like salads, lean meats, protein shakes, and taking up walking, he managed to lose an incredible 25 stone within just two years, slimming down to a size 1XL.
The 40 year old resident of Columbia, South Carolina, USA, is excited about his progress but recognises that his transformation journey hasn't ended yet.
Cole is now considering expensive surgeries which involve three separate operations to remove excess skin from his arms, back, legs, stomach, and chest, reports the Daily Record.
"It really affects my confidence and mental health," admitted Cole. "I worked really hard and I can still see the leftovers of that fat guy.
"I still can't go to the beach or pool, and I don't take my shirt off. A lot of my weight is the skin. It weighs at least one stone. It's really killing me. I can't run because it slaps around. It's aggravating."
He disclosed that his struggle with obesity started when he was six years old following a family move. His teenage years saw a decline in eating habits when he would eat meals his mother prepared and snack on sweets, crisps, and fizzy drinks.
"My mum and dad worked so we just had whatever they could make."
The asset protection investigator's struggle with weight began at the tender age of six after a stressful house move.
As Cole entered his teenage years, his diet deteriorated further; he would have meals prepared by his mother and then gorge on sweets, crisps, and fizzy drinks. He reminisced: "We had tacos, burgers and always did pizza and movie Fridays."
Food became Cole's refuge over the years, and as an adult, he frequently succumbed to the lure of takeaways and fatty foods.
At his heaviest, Cole faced the humiliation of not fitting onto a rollercoaster or into a restaurant booth. He admitted: "I was getting bigger and bigger. Food was my comfort. Pizza was my favourite. I liked cakes, sweets, crisps and junk food.
"I used to eat until I went to sleep and I weighed more than the scales could measure. It affected my health; I couldn't get up the stairs without getting out of breath.
"I couldn't fit on a rollercoaster or into a booth at a restaurant, and I just had to hope that chairs would hold me up. My feet hurt so bad and they were swollen.
"I didn't want to go out and be seen. I lived my life hoping I wouldn't die."
However, in 2021, the fear of a diabetes diagnosis drove Cole to transform his lifestyle.
The end of a seven-year relationship also acted as a catalyst for change. Cole disclosed: "I was trying to save my relationship by losing weight but I ended up saving myself."
Cole's motivation to transform his life stemmed from a desire to avoid following in his family members' footsteps, who suffered from diabetes. He didn't want to leave behind a legacy of being a funny guy who neglected his health.
Taking it one day at a time, Cole started by cutting out sugary drinks and junk food from his diet and began taking regular walks. He gradually introduced full-body workouts and weightlifting into his routine.
However, he attributes his success to the unwavering support and encouragement from his loved ones.
Cole recounted his journey, saying: "I started walking and moving a little bit more every day. I started eating better and stopped snacking on crisps and chocolate, as well as cut back on bread and sugar.
"Salads became my main meal. I learned more about food and joined a gym. It's very hard joining the gym as a bigger man. You assume that everyone is looking at you and sometimes they are but they're happy to see you there.
"I do full body splits, combo lifts and I slowly added more muscle specific lifts. Now, my health and life is amazing. It's getting better every day. People respect you more when you're in shape.
"I used to get comments about my size all the time. I tried not to show that it hurt to hear. In public, people would call me fat. Kids are the worst because they say whatever they're thinking.
"A kid would point and say 'look how big that guy is' and that really bothered me inside."
Cole, who has slimmed down dramatically, now finds that old school friends and former colleagues often don't recognise him as they pass by on the street.
He said: "My friends and family are so proud and happy for me. They've always been supportive. I've walked past people I went to school with or used to work with and they will walk straight by.
"I stop them and they'll say they didn't even know it was me."
Cole has embarked on a drive to raise about £85,000 ($100,000) to fund his surgery costs.
Considering another fundraising effort to secure the necessary finances, Cole added: "Anyone can do this and I'm proof of that. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change.
"Life's only getting better for me and I can't wait to have my skin cut off."
Previously, Cole would skip breakfast or grab a McDonald's double sausage sandwich with egg, cheese and hash browns, often skipped lunch, and dinner would be two burgers with fries or one and a half large pizzas. His snacking included two litres of fizzy drinks, sweets, and a share-size bag of crisps.
Now, he skips breakfast, has a protein shake, lean beef burger steak with potatoes and carrots for lunch, and eggs, lean beef, or chicken for dinner. Snacks involve a Rice Krispie treat or a protein yoghurt.