BOISE, IDAHO, July 16, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imagine not leaving your house or seeing your friends for years. Imagine not bathing in nearly that long because your body had grown so enormous that it could no longer fit in the shower. That's where Jesse Shand found himself in 2013.
The 26-year-old found himself weighing close to 700 pounds. He spent much of his day playing video games and trolling the Internet. This life of unhappiness led to extreme negativity, which then would ultimately lead to his 300-pound weight loss.
Jesse's transformation started by accident. He wanted to get a rise out of the bodybuilding types and so he posted a thread on the Bodybuilding.com forum titled, "Ask the fattest man on the forum anything." He also posted pictures of his then tremendously obese body. He waited eagerly for the backlash. Instead the forum members wanted to help Jesse. Together, Jesse and the other members devised a plan to help him lose weight and get healthy.
Jesse made his transformation public, using the Bodybuilding.com forums as a sort of digital diary. To this day Jesse's transformation journey remains one of the most popular threads.
The support from the forum members, coupled with small changes to his diet, made all the difference. He recalls that dinner at one point would normally have been composed of eight chicken quesadillas and an entire pack of cheesy-flavored rice, but one night he willingly opted for seven quesadillas and only half the pack of cheesy rice. For someone who was used to eating a certain amount, these changes added up significantly.
As Jesse's physical fitness improved from his initial concerted efforts, he continued to challenge and push himself. After graduating from walking indoors to walking outdoors, Jesse began to work up to walking 5 miles at a time. When that wasn't far enough, he got himself a bicycle. Soon, he had shed enough weight to slide in behind the wheel of his car and drive for the first time in many years. The biggest game changer arrived in the form of a gym membership, which some forum members helped him get. Jesse quickly found a new home there. Racquetball, weightlifting, cardio, basketball, swimming—you name it, he did it or tried it.
To say that Jesse's newfound love of fitness changed his life is an understatement. In many ways, it saved his life. "I started going out and being social again," he says. "I joined a poker league and have made new friends. I took my mother to go see a Broadway show—all kinds of things I was sure I would never get to do again!"
With Jesse's weight-loss success thanks in large part to his amazing support network, he urges other aspiring transformers to seek out support.
"Having yourself surrounded by like-minded people helps you develop good habits and learn new things," he says. "The encouragement you give each other really can help you on days when your heart just isn't in it. And those days will come. Don't face them alone."
To get Jesse's training, nutrition and supplementation program, please visit: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/350-pounds-and-counting-jesse-shands-incredible-journey.html
About Bodybuilding.com
Based in Boise, Idaho, Bodybuilding.com is the world's largest online sports nutrition store. The site carries more than 13,500 health and fitness supplements and accessories, shipping to customers in more than 155 countries. Bodybuilding.com helps more than 29 million people every month achieve their health, fitness and appearance goals by offering over 35,000 pages of FREE information, including more than 25,000 articles and 10,000 videos, expert-designed online training programs, and new content added daily. For more information, please visit www.bodybuilding.com.
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