Anyone who has ever tried to lose a couple pounds knows how hard it can be. It's not that your body won't work out, it's that your brain has to will it to do so. Working on the mental discipline that it takes to make a change to your body is what the struggle of weight loss boils down to in most cases. There are thousands (if not zillions) of methods and programs that claim to be "the way" to a healthier body... but really, it comes down to the individual and how they can modify their existing lifestyle (rather than attempting to abandon it completely).
This is the amazing story of how something as simple as walking to the store can literally change your life.
SHARE this remarkable story that proves any start is a great start. You can do this!
Pasquale "Pat" Brocco Is A Big Man
Here he is at the age of 28 with a great life which he is not enjoying to the fullest. The husband and father was quite overweight but, in many ways, that was the normal way of things for him.
"Fat Pat"
This was his nickname since he was a kid. The smiles in these pictures hide a difficult struggle with weight that would get much harder before it would get easier.
"My drug of choice was food, and I abuse it for so many year not knowing the harm I was causing."
He Kept The Smile As The Weight Packed On
As the years rolled on, Pat continued to gain weight. He stands at 6'8, but the weight he was carrying made him look several times bigger. Though Pat has always had a great smile, he was far from happy.
Finally, A Doctor Gave Him News He Just Couldn't Accept
The doctor said that Pat may die in his sleep. That short but stunning statement was too much reality for Pat's well-oiled excuse machine. He decided he wasn't going down without a fight — and he had the perfect reason to start caring more...
Pat Was Daddy To A New Baby
The doctor's words struck an extra sensitive cord with Pat as he has a family to provide for and obviously wants to be there to see his newborn son grow up. A major change was the only way that would be possible and that requires a hard first step: Pat had to start looking at himself.
When He Started Looking Within, He Got A Major Reality Check “I was disgusted.” Weight has a way of creeping up on people, especially when shame and hurt are part of the problem. Pat knew he was overweight, he'd always been so, but he didn't realize how big he had actually become. “My stomach was down to my thighs. My chest was hanging down here,” Pat told ABC News. In this photo, Pat was carrying 605 lbs on his 6'8 frame.
A Clean Slate
That selfie he took in the bathroom mirror was the last straw. Pat was determined to make a dramatic change for the better and it had to start at home with the source of the problem: his fridge. It was full of junk foods that needed to go immediately — before his new-found perspective started to fade.
Pat threw away an entire fridge of food and decided if he wanted to eat, he would have to earn it from now on.
The Local Walmart Is Exactly One Mile Away...
With a house all but void of food and a fresh, clear attitude about health, Pat decided the best way to start balancing his lifestyle was to start walking. Walking is best done with a destination in mind and since food was now scarce, Pat decided to walk to Walmart every time he felt hungry. This meant he would walk one mile there and one mile back with the weight of the food for challenge. Three meals per day meant Pat was walking six miles per day!
"Yes I'm the Same man just a different outlook on life! I found what's really important and that's my health, I realized our health is our wealth!"
Pat's walks to Walmart proved to be a great way to start the journey toward a better, healthier life. He stuck to it and after a year of faithful commitment, Pat lost an amazing 200 lbs. When he was able, Pat began going to the gym and continued to see the fat come off and the muscle come on. He began posting his progress online and the internet was blown away.
"On the left I was 605 lbs over 53% body fat on my death bed with high blood pressure, pre diabetic and morbidly obese, on the right I'm 275 lbs 10% [body fat] and disease free!"
"This right here is the definition of what I have done. No matter where you are in life you can build yourself."
Pat posted this image to his Instagram account, reflecting on the progress he has made through hard physical and mental work.
"No one can make you eat healthy no one can make you do cardio no one can make you lift weights at the end of the day you have to do it for yourself and actually want to make a change not in just fitness in life period."
"Here's a better understand of what I accomplished!!"
Keeping accurate progress pictures is a big part of sticking with any body transformation plan. Pat had a IDXA body scan done to see how his body's fat is distributed and where he's losing it.
"On the left was me about two years at the beginning of my journey I was 605 lbs 52% [body fat] the yellow represents overweight fatty areas and that red represents obese dangerous areas! As you can tell there is fat around my liver and all through my body with very little muscle!! I was actually to big for the machine!! The picture on the right is me today at 11.1% [body fat] almost all muscle not only have I lost over 320 lbs and 40.9% [body fat] I also put on over 50 lbs of lean mass!!!"
Little By Little, Step By Step
Humble and honest, Pat is open with his followers about his struggle and why it's all worth it in the end:
"We all make mistakes in life I'm just thankful I had the ability to change , learn and grow from mine! Some people may never try to change, some may give up, some may think it's impossible! Well I'm here to say and show you all that it is very possible!!"
But there was still one thing Pat couldn't do on his own. Pat still had nearly 30 lbs of loose skin hanging off of his now super fit frame...
The Kind Of Doctor Pat Actually Wanted To See
Though Pat loved his new look, he still didn'tlook quite the wayin the way he wanted. After losing 300 lbs, Pat had a lot of extra skin that needed to be removed to complete his body transformation. No amount of working out would tighten that much skin, so the doctor did what he could and....
The Final Results Are Amazing
"This is 1.5 days after surgery and already seeing results!! Even tho there's still a lot of swelling everything is coming along great! This is just the beginning of a new chapter of my journey this journey is now a lifestyle and I have no plans on ending it!"
Now Pat has the body he has worked so hard to achieve. He will still need to heal, but he's finally reached his goal and is maintaining it.
From "Fat Pat" To "Possible Pat"
Pat changed his body, his life, and now, his old nickname. He's not "Fat Pat" anymore because he's "Possible Pat" and he's proved it. He wanted to set a good example for his son so he would know that anything is possible and he has succeeded!
"Possible Pat" Is Making The Impossible Seem Possible For People All Over
It may have started in Arizona but Pat is making an impact on people everywhere.SHARE his amazing progress with your friends. You never know who you can inspire!
