An Idaho man whose weight spiraled out of control as he consumed junk food and alcohol has flipped his life around and shed 220 pounds (100 kg) in 15 months.
“I am much happier now and confident in who I am,” Jarred Aslett, 32, told The Epoch Times. “The biggest changes in my lifestyle is getting to do all the things I used to love doing but stopped because of my weight.”
Aslett, who works on post-secondary education, said that his diet before he decided to undergo a weight-loss journey comprised of food that was easily available, convenient, and lacked nutritional value.
He was consuming 2,000 calories in alcohol three to four times a week, and claims that his alcohol intake was the main contributor in tipping the scales to 480 pounds (218 kg).
“I was drinking excessively because I had not properly dealt with trauma from my past,” Aslett told The Epoch Times. “I was using alcohol to cope with the situations around me.”
Aslett shared that, after his relationship ended with his fiancée, he didn’t like who he had become and was “sick of living life” the way he was as he'd stopped doing all the things he once loved.
Determined to bring a change to the reflection of what he saw in the mirror, as he didn’t like his appearance, Aslett first spoke to a mental health professional.
“You don’t typically get that size without something going on in your head,” Aslett said.
After having taken care of that, Aslett made a change in his lifestyle; overhauling his diet by swapping to healthier options and cutting out alcohol.
Detailing his diet and exercise routine, Aslett said: “I lift weights 4–5 times a week, walk my dog every day, and hike on the weekends. As for diet, I just do calorie deficit while focusing on lean protein and good whole foods.”
Like any new beginning, Aslett encountered some challenges, but he continued to strive forward.
“My biggest challenge was the mental aspect and learning to properly deal with my past,” Aslett said. “For the weight loss, once I started seeing results, the motivation was there.”
His philosophy throughout has remained: “To put in the work today, so I can have the tomorrow I want.”
He said that, through the course of his journey, his family has been “overwhelmingly supportive.”
Fifteen months on, Aslett now weighs 260 pounds (118 kg), but says that he wants to lose 20 more pounds (9 kg) before looking into skin removal surgery, after which he will begin to build lean muscle.
Apart from a change in his weight, Aslett says he’s begun snowboarding, skating, surfing, traveling, and hiking again.
In February 2021, he took his social media accounts public to share his journey with others. Since then, he has garnered 300,000 followers between Instagram and TikTok and amassed support from around the world.
As he continues to chronicle his transformation, his followers are not only proud of him but also inspired by his change.
To all those who are struggling to shed those extra pounds, Aslett shares a piece of advice: “Just stick with it and stay consistent. The only way you fail is if you quit!”
