Medical procedures can certainly help an individual suffering from health issues lose weight. But 40-year-old corporate chef Gary Biser's 315 lbs weight loss story proves that dietary and lifestyle changes are necessary to make the transformation sustainable.

Biser, a Florida native, recently spoke to Men's Health, revealing that weight had been an issue for most of his life. Biser said that the health issues that came with his obesity propelled him to finally take steps towards reducing his weight.

"My kids are my everything. I thought, if I’m gone, who will be here to protect them? I had to beat this—I was ready to lose weight," Biser recalled thinking.

His doctor informed him about his pre-diabetic state and recommended an invasive bariatric surgery called a duodenal switch, which Biser underwent in 2022. But his mindset towards health didn't change right after having the surgery.

According to the Men's Health article, it was during the subsequent weight loss process that Biser realized how important maintaining a healthy diet was to make this change sustainable.

Biser spoke about how his unhealthy relationship with food started in his childhood, after his parents' divorce. His weight reached almost 500 lbs by the time he turned 35.

He confessed that before the surgery, he could consume fast food worth almost $30. While he still had the same capacity after the operation, he started resisting the desire and diverting towards a healthier diet.

"I followed my doctors’ nutritional instructions, which was pureed food at first. I then adopted a simple low-carb, high-protein diet," the corporate chef said. " I’ve kept up this healthy way of eating and three years later, I’ve still not had one morsel of refined sugar or carbonated food and drink."

Biser's profession made things even tougher for him. He revealed that he used to cook delicious foods for everyone, including his wife and kids. But he never ate them himself after he focused on losing weight, sometimes sitting in his car and crying to resist the desire.

Granted, Biser's surgery and dietary maintenance helped him with his weight loss significantly. But there was one more thing that aided his 315 lbs weight loss.

Gary Biser combined working out with the other measures to achieve the 315 lbs weight loss

After switching to a healthier diet, Biser also wanted to start hitting the gym for even better results with his weight loss. However, per his Men's Health interview, starting to work out wasn't easy for him either.

"I started setting my alarm for 3 A.M. every morning. I’d drive to the gym, sleep a bit longer in my car, wake up, and go back home. That’s right, I wouldn’t go in at first," he admitted during the interview.

After a few days of repeating this, the chef finally felt confident enough to walk into the gym. He revealed that he started slow with treadmill walks and gradually moved to resistance training.

The 40-year-old disclosed his current routine.

"Nowadays I'm in the gym by 4 a.m., where I’m training an hour and a half a day, 6 days a week. I do a five-minute warm-up on the treadmill, then switch to weights," Biser said.

Biser emphasized targeting each muscle group while working out, like chest, triceps, back, biceps, legs, shoulders, and abs. With all this combined, he mentioned that he had lost almost 315 lbs out of his 2021 weight of 500 lbs.

Does Biser's story motivate you? Where would you like to use this motivation?

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Written by

Souvik Roy

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit