Dukan Diet: OBESE TO BEAST JOHN GLAUDES 170 POUND WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY

Sunday, March 8, 2015

OBESE TO BEAST JOHN GLAUDES 170 POUND WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY

John Glaude made a name for himself by being brutally honest about the struggles and challenges that come along with big-time weight loss. Heres this YouTube personalitys inside perspective on what it takes to lose 170 pounds!

John Glaude transformed the right way, the way we ask our readers to change: slow and steady. He didnt go on some reality show, sweat out half a man, relapse, and fall out of the public eye. He changed his diet and committed to regular training. And as a reward, he lost 170 pounds and achieved a truly dramatic transformation of body, mind, and life.

The process, which Glaude detailed starting last spring on his Instagram and YouTube channels "Obese to Beast," earned him thousands of fans and followers. But what finally made him famous was a single video in November 2014, which has now been watched well over 7 million times. If you havent seen it, be prepared for one of the most inspiring and real perspectives on fitness youll ever see.

As the video shows, Glaude is a natural speaker and entertainer. He shined when he went on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to talk about his video (Ellen also gave him a red Ford Mustang). But this 22-year-old barista hasnt allowed fame to go to his head. When he spoke with Bodybuilding.com, he was walking on the stair climber. But he still made time to give us a frank perspective on his journey and where it goes from here.

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO GET FIT?

I was 20 years old, I had been out of high school for two years, and I weighed 360 pounds. The only time I ever left my house was to go to work, and then I would go back home and watch TV. Thats all I did, and I hated it. I wouldnt sit there and be "fat and happy." I really hated it.

There are so many people that are there now, where I was. I honestly didnt think I could change. I didnt think there was anything I could do. There were nights where I literally cried myself to sleep because I knew that I was killing myself every single time I ate—every time—and it scared me.

Sure, I wanted to change to save my own life, but the click that happened was very simple. I was binge-watching "Miami Ink" on Netflix, and a guy came on who had lost a lot of weight. They asked him how he did it, and he preached basically what I preach today: You take it into your own hands. You learn about nutrition, and you execute what you learned. Then, you go to the gym and you work your butt off.

I realized at that moment that I was doing this to myself, and the only person who would ever get me to change was me. The only person who could stop me from changing was also me. I realized that I needed to do this for myself or I was going to die—at what, 35 years old? Maybe 450 pounds? I was scared, but I remember telling myself, "I might as well try my hardest, because I have nothing else."

YOU HAD TRIED AND FAILED IN THE PAST. WHAT WAS DIFFERENT THIS TIME?

I cant explain the moment—like, what happened inside of me—but there was just a click that happened. I knew from that point on that there was no going back. I was going to transform. It was going to work.

Since then, its just been uphill and its been a battle with plenty of struggles. But I see now that if there are going to be a lot of mountaintops, there are going to be a lot of valleys. I just know if Im not going to give up, Im not going to fail.

DID YOU EVER HIRE A PERSONAL TRAINER OR DID YOU JUST DO IT ON YOUR OWN?

I just did it on my own. Im not against using a personal trainer, but I dont have very much money and they cost a good amount. I always recommend that people hire one if they do have money—its definitely a good investment—but if you dont, its not the end of the world.

DO YOU LOOK AT PEOPLE—BOTH FIT PEOPLE AND OBESE PEOPLE—DIFFERENTLY AFTER GOING THROUGH WHAT YOU DID?

When I see people who are morbidly obese like I was, I feel like... I dont want to say "bad," because thats not the word. I think, "If they only knew they could change and that its possible to do it." Because when I was morbidly obese, I would see these transformations and I would always think that they were faked—like they got surgery or took pills. Theres no way they could lose 150 pounds or more naturally.

But, I promise you, if you take your time and do the research, you can achieve this. This is possible for anyone, period. When I see people who are morbidly obese, I want to go up to them and talk to them and tell them that, but obviously I cant. It wouldnt be very well taken.

AT WHAT POINT DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE YOUR TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY PUBLIC, AND WHY?

For a while I didnt really post much about losing the weight. I felt like, at first, it was something I was doing for me. My friends would say that I was helping them with their fitness goals, and this made me realize that maybe I can help people I dont even know. At that point I decided to go public.

I was posting a lot of fitness stuff on my personal Instagram, but I know all my friends arent into fitness, and they probably dont want to see all my stuff, so I opened a new account. Obviously I wanted to help people, but I also wanted to try to separate the two.

The funny thing is that Obese to Beast has basically taken over. I dont have a separate Instagram account anymore. I realized that I could help people Id never met and I wanted to go for it and see what happened. I never expected whats happening to happen, but Im happy about it.

HOW HAS YOUR LIFE CHANGED SINCE YOU POSTED THE VIDEO, "MY BIGGEST INSECURITY?"

When the video went viral, that obviously wasnt the plan. I freaked out when that happened, but it was awesome that it did. I didnt realize how many people were struggling with loose skin like I was. Ive had people message me who were planning on getting surgery and cancelled. They wrote that they first couldnt afford it and then realized that they dont need it.

Stuff like that tugs at my heart. It makes me so proud. Any amount of money or a car—even my Mustang—could never amount to that feeling you get when someone says, "You helped me change."

Thats why I started the channel. I wanted to show people that natural weight loss and weight loss in general is possible if you just try your hardest and just keep going. There are going to be slip-ups and bumps; no road to success is straight, ever.

Now Im in contact with people I would have never imagined I would ever be in contact with. I work at Starbucks, and people will just come up like, Hey, can we get a picture? The main thing though, is that Im able to help so many more people because my subscriber count went up and people see me more and they use me as motivation. Thats more than I could have ever asked for.

Today Im working out with some of my friends—I mean theyre my friends now, but I met them through social media—and theyre just the best people. Theyre so happy and genuinely want to learn; theyre changing their lives in front of my eyes. People say I motivate them, but they dont understand how much they motivate me.

LETS DO A LITTLE WORD ASSOCIATION:

Obese: Obese is a word that people use for description, but its something that obese people also use as an excuse to not try as hard as they can.

Weakness: This is something that is inside your head mostly. You just have to overcome it.

Confidence: Confidence is something that is in every single person. When you find it, your whole life will change, guaranteed.

Tired: Tired is a word that people use when they dont want to try anymore. Its something that can easily be overcome with the right mindset.

Strength: Strength is realizing that—even if you feel like youre tired or weak, or all those words that you used before—you still can push. Strength is just pushing no matter how hard it gets.

Beast: A beast just doesnt quit. Its something that keeps going until there is nothing left, either in what the beast is going for, or in the thing itself.

YOURE ONLY 22 YEARS OLD. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE?

My plan is to do something related to fitness and helping people reach their goals. The YouTube thing is very lucrative, and there are definitely avenues I can use to help me help more people. I could go into online coaching, for one. The opportunity is still so fresh that theres no definite answer to what road I want to take.

More than anything, my motivation today comes from people who tell me that I motivate them. That, honestly, I cant explain. People tell me I motivate them, and that motivates me to keep going. I cant get that through enough.

I dont want to call people "my fans," because thats not how I see it. I feel like people who support someone else dont realize how much that support means to that person. Obviously this is just my life now, so going to the gym isnt a chore for me. Its what I look forward to every day. When Im at work, I look forward to getting off to go to the gym. Its where I like to be at now.

I dont want to say that its not hard to be motivated, but I just have so much encouragement behind me that its hard not to be motivated. It would be hard for me not to go to the gym. If I didnt show up at the gym or post on Instagram for three days, I would have people asking, "Where are you? Whats going on? Why havent you posted anything on YouTube?" I have people behind me who will always be there for me.

EVERY JANUARY, THOUSANDS TRY TO START TRANSFORMATIONS. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR SOMEBODY IN A BAD SPOT WHO NEEDS A LITTLE MOTIVATION?

Dont let people who might look at you funny scare you! Most of the time theyre not trying to be mean; its just that this happens every year. Ive seen a lot of fit people who have a stigma toward people who are new—the "New Years Resolutioners." People make them seem like they are not worth even taking up space in the gym.

So just get in there. Do your research, and go in there with a plan. Thats the most important thing I can say to someone. Dont go in lost. Go in knowing what youre going to be doing for that day, and execute. Dont let people who say something to you or give you dirty looks throw you off your path. What they say to you doesnt matter.

Its you versus you, not you versus the person whos already fit. Stick to the plan you made. Remember why you decided to make the resolution. Remember where you started, and why you started. That will propel you forward.

THATS AWESOME, JOHN. FOR ALL YOU GIVE, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU GET BACK EVEN MORE.

Yeah, it really is awesome! Its good to see it all come together and pay it forward. I dont see how a person could get what I have and not want to help someone else achieve that as well. Its such an awesome thing that I want everyone to have it—and everyone can.

Thats what I preach. Its not like I have something that is amazing and Im better than anyone. People tell me all the time that they wish they had the motivation. You do have the motivation. Its in you; you need to find it!

A lot of people who are morbidly obese or just overweight almost feel like theyre not worth the change. I was the same way. You feel like youre just going to fail anyways. Thats the mindset I was in. Im trying to show people that you are worth it.

Nobody is better than anyone. Were all the same, were all humans. Im not some superhuman. Im the same as everyone else. Im the same person I was when I was 360 pounds, too. I just found the motivation inside me to keep going every single day.

By Dustin Lapray

Source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/obese-to-beast-john-glaude-170-pound-weight-loss-journey.html

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