Man Looks Completely Unrecognizable After Losing 336lbs, Weight Loss Journey Breaks the Internet

The internet is divided over before and after photos showing a severely obese man's impressive weight loss. Cole Prochaska, a South Carolina resident, lost more than 336 pounds in less than two years, but despite his significant accomplishments, he still feels self-conscious about his appearance.

The reason for feeling self-conscious is that he now has a significant amount of loose skin due to the drastic weight loss. Sharing a picture of the before and after weight loss transformation on Twitter, Prochaska wrote in the caption:

"It's very hard to share a shirtless picture but I've come so far. Over 336lbs down! Most didn't believe in me but I believed in myself."

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Cole Prochaska’s Weight Loss Journey

On Twitter, Cole Prochaska credited the gym, healthy nutrition, and "at least 10k steps a day" for his achievements. Body shaping surgery is the next on the schedule now that he weighs between 224 and 226 pounds.

This surgical treatment, also known as body shaping or skin removal, eliminates any loose skin that remains after significant weight loss. It might be directed towards the arms, breasts, face, thighs, lower abdomen, or upper body.

Exercise and nutrition both play important role in weight reduction. (Image via Pexels/ Andres Ayrton)

According to the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, good candidates for body contouring have attained their target weight and have maintained it for at least six months.

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How people reacted to Cole Prochaska’s weight loss journey?

Many have congratulated him and said he is a true inspiration for everyone. One such comment read,

“My good man, you are honestly a hero, not only to yourself but for other looking to better themselves and needing that much needed role model to follow. I wish you nothing more than the best and keep being such a strong willed man.”

Some people were curious to know how he achieved this feat. To answer this, Cole replied, “Joining the gym, staying in a calorie deficit, eating high protein, working my way up to at least 10k steps a day.”

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Side effects of too-quick weight loss

It's crucial to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way because doing so can have numerous positive effects on your health. Extreme weight reduction, especially done too soon, can have negative health effects in addition to more skin. You can lose bone density and muscle mass along with fat.

Several negative outcomes can result from losing weight too quickly, including:

Nutrient deficiency: Deficits in critical vitamins and minerals can result from rapid weight loss, which makes it harder to achieve daily dietary requirements.

Muscle mass loss: Loss of muscle mass can occur when you lose weight too quickly because your body breaks down muscle for energy.

Fatigue: Rapid weight loss can result in exhaustion, weakness, and a lack of energy, making it challenging to carry out daily duties and exercise.

However, severe obesity has far more pervasive impacts.

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How does obesity impact your lifestyle?

Once you reach adulthood, you retain the same number of fat cells regardless of size. Fat cells get larger when you gain a lot of weight. These cells decrease when you lose a lot of weight.

Many health issues, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and several malignancies, are more likely to occur in obese people. These health issues may impact your ability to carry out regular tasks like walking, climbing stairs, and engaging in sports or other physical activities.

Severe obesity has negative health impacts. (Image via Unsplash/ Volodymyr Hryshchenko)

Your mental health may be affected by obesity, which may result in problems like sadness, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Your ability to interact socially, establish new acquaintances, and partake in novel activities may also be hampered.