Hiking has been Skyler's lifelong hobby, so when his weight held him back from keeping up with other hikers on a Hawaiian trail, he realized it was time for a change. At 315 pounds, Skyler admitted the trek was "kicking [his] ass," so when he completed the trail, he went home and immediately dove head-first into what would be an incredible 135-pound weight-loss journey that's inspiring internet users everywhere.
"I remember the day I woke up and it was like a little light switch had flipped in my head."
In a now-viral Imgur thread, Skyler described how all it took was that miserable hiking experience for him to see that his weight was getting out of control. "I remember the day I woke up and it was like a little light switch had flipped in my head," he wrote. "I got out of bed and started changing my life." His first step came when he began documenting his daily calorie intake, upon which he realized he'd been consuming more than 3,000 calories each day. He was "dumbfounded" at this discovery and made a great analogy that explained why his calorie intake made sense considering how much he weighed. "Your body is a machine that needs fuel," he wrote. "The food you eat is the fuel. However, if you eat more than your body requires, it will save this extra fuel as fat, which is basically a battery. I was charging my batteries my whole life."
In order to cut back, he bought a food scale, got the My Fitness Pal app to track his food, slashed 1,000 of those 3,000 calories, and started cooking his meals. He reassured Imgur users that he still left room for some indulgences here and there. "I still drank beer and whiskey, I still had cheeseburgers (mmmmm cheeseburgers), I still ate candy, I still went out and did things with people," he wrote. But the key, he said, was moderation.
And the pounds started dropping. In just a few months, he lost 50 pounds and used that as motivation to start hitting the gym to lift weights and do cardio. Skyler admitted that initially it was hard, but after a while, "Little baby muscles started to pop up," and he was actually enjoying his routine. So another goal came along - to hike 20 miles in three days in Colorado's Dominguez Canyon - which he blew out of the water by instead trekking more than 30 miles in two days. Feeling on a high, he set yet another objective, this one just slightly more challenging: to climb a 14,000-foot mountain with his upright bass in tow, and he not so surprisingly crushed the hike.
"I was making healthy decisions and it was because I wanted to."
Fifteen months, 135 pounds shed, and numerous hiking adventures later, Skyler is looking back on his journey and reflecting on the dedication it took to get to where he is today. He described how his weight loss was fueled by his own desires, not those of others. "I was making healthy decisions and it was because I wanted to. I felt better, I was slaying my weight loss, I was getting buff, I was getting more confident. It is the best feeling in the world." And he offered yet another accurate analogy that's sure to make you think twice about getting healthy. "Being healthy is not a lifestyle equivalent to joining a monastery on a mountain top somewhere and dedicating your life to celibacy," he said. "Being healthy is a CHOICE and if you make the choice to be healthy and pursue life with a passion . . . it will open so many doors - many of which you didn't know were there."
In his post, he also gave a shout-out to other Imgur users for helping motivate him along the way. "The Imgur community did what it does best - procrastinate at work, and I am so thankful for the support from random strangers. Thanks Imgur, seriously," he wrote.
Ahead, scroll through Skyler's documentation of his incredible weight-loss journey, and be sure to read the rest of his helpful advice and tips on the Imgur thread.
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