The Man Who Lost 218kg

"By the time I was 44, I wore 12XL shirts and weighed a deadly 320kg."

NAME: Jordan Tirekidis

AGE: 46
LIVES: Sydney
HEIGHT: 196cm

I had to make changes.

Anxiety attacks, depression and forebodings of a heart attack were all part of my daily life. The tiles in shops would crack under my feet. I was told by a hospital that their obesity clinic couldn’t help me.

The Gain
Aged 10, after having my tonsils removed and spending a week on a diet of ice-cream and lemonade, I developed a sweet tooth that was the beginning of my weight gain. By the time I was 17, I tipped the scales at 146 kilograms. Looking back, I was overweight but very strong. I was going to the gym and lifting big weights: I could squat five reps of 220kg.

But as 13-hour days spent running the family business took over my life, gym sessions gave way to gorging sessions. For breakfast, I was eating 20 hash browns, four McMuffins and two large coffees. Lunch was no better, with two Quarter Pounders, two Big Macs, drinks, fries and two sundaes my go-to meal. I’d then binge again for dinner, usually on pizza after having already eaten at my parents. By the time I was 44, I wore 12XL shirts and weighed a deadly 320kg.

The Change
Enough was enough. I sold the family business, the bane of my existence, and joined a health retreat. The first target was my diet. I eliminated starchy carbs and sugar. Breakfast became an egg-white omelette with mushroom, onion and tomato, while lunch and dinner were usually salads with lean meat. The results came immediately: I was losing up to 9kg a week. At the retreat, I set up two chairs 25 metres apart and began walking laps between them. Six months later, I’d dropped 140kg and was light enough to use cardio machines, like the cross-trainer and rower, doing intervals for up to half an hour.

The Result
I wouldn’t blame you if you thought I was an entirely different person. Weighing in 218kg lighter, I feel like a new man. I’ve never enjoyed being the centre of attention, but I’ve come out of my shell. It’s a bit of a cliché, but if I can do it, anyone can. I’ve now incorporated CrossFit, boxing, tabata and weights into my training, with the aim of stacking on 20kg of muscle this year. Knowing I can now fit into a plane seat, I plan on travelling for a while. I have a new lease on life and don’t want to waste another minute.

MORE: Why men find it easier to lose weight than women

The Advice
Find experts to help you. It’s all well and goodhaving a strong work ethic, but you should never underestimate the power of having to answer to someone else. It's an incredible motivating force. And keep at it. We’re all human; we make mistakes. When you do, work harder the next day and keep at it for the rest of the week.