This Guy Overcame Depression to Hit the Gym and Lose More Than 200 Pounds

The turning point came when he had a seizure in his bedroom. Paramedics rushed to help, but because of Goldblatts size, they had no way to get him to the hospital. He was too heavy for the stretcher, so they considered cutting open the side of his house and using a forklift to transport him. I ended up walking down my steps so they didnt have to do that, he says, but after that he resolved to change.

It was hard at firstcarrying 540 pounds made it impossible for him to jump right into working out. Instead, he started with simply walking. He walked a mile a day, which took him about 35 minutes. Over time, he turned his focus to diet, counting out his macros and watching his calories. When he got bored of the walking, he says, I joined a gym, started lifting weights, and fell in love instantly.

Hes never really followed one training regimen or diet plan; hes just tried to find what works for him. And thus far, what works is taking his time. Slow and steady wins the race, he says. And he continues to find the intensity for his workouts. I keep pushing myself to push more weight, to get one last rep, he says. I challenge myself to never look how I once was.

In five years, hes gone from a debilitating 540 pounds down to 320 pounds. Hes dropped from a 5XL shirt to an XL one (remember, hes 65) and his waist has shrunk from 74 inches down to 44. (He also found that hauling all that weight around gave him massive calves and quads, once he unearthed them.)

He compares his progress to a snowball rolling downhill until it becomes an avalanche. Hard work pays off, he says, and good things dont happen overnight. His mantra is Be proud, but never satisfied.

He says his family is amazed, while people whove known him his whole life dont recognize him. Its an amazing feeling literally becoming a new man, he says, a new personjust with hard work and determination. Hes become more confident and comfortable with himself. It feels amazing, he says. Gives you a boost of confidence, a boost in confidence you didnt even know you once had.

He keeps moving forward, and he encourages others to do the same. Youre the only person who can help yourself, he says, The only one who can make the changes is you.