Man Reveals How He Lost 350lbs To Look Unrecognizable—'Believe in Yourself'

After a shock health diagnosis left him fearing for his life, Michael Mehler, who weighed 586lbs, decided it was time to change.

At his heaviest Mehler, from Germany, had a 74-inch waist, which he tells Newsweek left him feeling "trapped" in his own body. But since the medical scare three years ago, 38-year-old Mehler has dropped a whopping 350lbs.

Being so overweight made it difficult to even move a few steps, leaving him out of breath walking just one yard. The lack of mobility prevented the lighting technician from going anywhere, leading him to become isolated and deeply unhappy.

He told Newsweek: "When I was big, I ate six to eight bread rolls for breakfast with marmalade, Nutella and typically German cold cuts. My lunch included two pizzas and a doner kebab, then in the evening I ate four to six burgers from a fast-food chain."

'I Couldn't Walk Without Losing My Breath'

In 2019, Mehler was wearing size 10XL shirts and his obesity problem became glaringly obvious. He realized that he needed to change his lifestyle, fearing that if he didn't lose weight he wouldn't survive much longer.

"I realized that I need to lose weight because I couldn't walk a yard without losing my breath and getting sweaty. It was a truly horrible experience.

"I felt trapped in my own body and in my home, and because of that I no longer had a social life. I wasn't living a good, happy life.

"I had to change my life because my blood pressure was through the roof, and I didn't want to die."

'My Testosterone Was Almost Zero'

Mehler underwent bariatric sleeve surgery in 2020, which involved removing around 80 percent of the stomach so the individual wasn't physically able to eat as much.

This helped Mehler lose 55lbs initially, but then the weight loss stopped suddenly, despite his best efforts. This led doctors to believe he was still overindulging, before blood tests revealed the shocking state of Mehler's health.

"After that, I had a blood test done and they realized that my testosterone was almost zero, but prolactin was 198, and my estrogen was at 70," he explained.

Prolactin is a hormone that's released by the pituitary gland, which stimulates milk production in the body. Pregnant or postpartum women usually have higher levels of prolactin for breastfeeding, but the normal amount for a man would be anywhere between two to 18 nanograms per milliliter.

Mehler underwent an MRI scan that located a tumor in the pituitary gland, causing the unusually high hormone levels.

"The pituitary tumor was affecting my hormone levels. I had almost no testosterone, but lots of the hormones I should only have small amounts of. That hormone imbalance was really affecting my depression and anxiety at the time.

"The hormone levels meant I wasn't losing any weight, so if the tumor hadn't been found I would have inevitably gained more weight and died. It was treated with Cabergolin tablets and it's now checked once a year."

Health Shock Sparked The Weight Loss Journey

This health shock gave Mehler the push he needed to take his weight loss seriously, leading him to start training in the gym six times a week, for at least three hours a day.

"After that, the true weight loss journey began," he continued. "At the start I did a weight training routine for two hours a day, and then one or two hours of cardio after.

"Since having surgery, my portion sizes are way smaller than they used to be. My blood test results also made me want to start a vegan diet."

Contrasting to his previous diet of processed junk food, Mehler now pays attention to what he puts into his body, with a keen focus on his protein intake.

Once Mehler began to notice the results of his regular workouts he started to feel more optimistic about his weight loss goal, which encouraged him to continue.

After three years of intense physical workouts every day, Mehler has now dropped an incredible eight shirt sizes.

Extensive Weight Loss Has To Be Sustainable

Mehler has become so much happier and healthier after losing the weight, but it wasn't an overnight fix. He's spent three years gradually shedding the excess pounds, enabling him to sustain the regime, rather than carrying out quick-fix diets that might only work short-term.

Susan Bowerman, senior director of Worldwide Nutrition Education and a member of the Dietetic Advisory Board, told Newsweek that extensive weight loss can be a healthy change, but only if it's done in a sustainable and balanced way.

"When weight loss occurs at a much more rapid rate, there is an increased risk of loss of lean body mass," Bowerman said. "This can not only affect overall health, but also reduce the resting metabolic rate which makes weight maintenance more difficult.

"The program needs to be a comprehensive one that includes a nutrient-rich, well-planned diet, with a reasonable number of calories.

"It's also extremely helpful to have some sort of support system, whether that comes from family and friends, health coaches, healthcare providers, apps or online communities."

Bowerman encourages individuals to regard their lifestyle changes as long-term, not just for the purpose of losing the weight.

She continued: "Try to avoid thinking that any change you make in your diet and lifestyle only applies during the weight loss phase.

"Maintaining weight after loss can be just as challenging—if not more so—than the weight loss itself. Whatever an individual does in order to get their weight off is the same thing they're going to need to do in order to keep it off."

Rigid diets that don't necessarily fit the person's lifestyle, tastes or budget aren't going to be sustainable, so Bowerman insists that the new diet they follow much be one that works for them.

'Anything Is Possible If You Believe In Yourself'

Despite losing 40 inches off his waist, Mehler still isn't finished and hopes that his determination to keep going will inspire others. By using social media to document his transformation (@fromsupersizetosuperfit), Mehler hopes to encourage others to see their own potential.

Mehler said: "I'm still not totally happy with my body image because I haven't finished my transformation yet. Right now, I'm looking forward to having my skin removal surgery soon.

"I want to motivate people who find themselves in the same position as me. I want to inspire people and show that anything is possible if you believe in yourself."