A morbidly obese Michigan man who grew tired of his “funny fat kid” persona embarked on a massive lifestyle overhaul, ditching his 10,000-calorie diet, losing nearly 200 pounds, and eventually competing as a bodybuilder.
David Roden, 31, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, told The Epoch Times that his story goes against “pretty much every preconceived notion” of childhood obesity.
“My dad is a cardiologist ... he was a marathon runner,” Roden said. “My mom was a stay-at-home mom. I grew up with pretty much the ideal upbringing and resources, in a 7,000-square-foot house with an indoor basketball court and a full gym ... my parents were very supportive, awesome beings.”
“But the reality, how did my obesity happen, is actually pretty simple. My dad worked 80 to 90 hours a week and my mom loved me incredibly ... but her biggest issue was how she showed her love,” he said.
With unlimited pocket money and no accountability, teenage Roden indulged in his love for junk food and video games. Before long, he was eating an extra large pizza by himself every day, binging candy, and hiding the wrappers from his parents so they had no idea how much he was really eating. When Roden saw doctors and had his brain scans done to determine what was wrong, all the results turned out to be “normal.” He said even doctors didn’t know how much he was consuming.
Roden was popular at school. He played tennis and golf and his friends loved him for his sense of humor. His biggest bully was not others but himself.
“I will be the first one to admit, I was a bigger bully on myself than how anyone treated me,” Roden said.
At 18, Roden weighed a whopping 410 pounds (approx. 186 kg). He knew something needed to change, but he “felt so trapped” in his large body and intimidated by the scale of the task ahead.
“That’s what really held me captive ... it really sucks the life out of you because of how far you have to go,” he said, adding, “My parents never knew, family and friends never knew, but I really did consider ending my life at 18 years old because I just hated the body I had.”
At 22, still over 400 pounds (181 kg), and with a biomedical science degree from Central Michigan University, Roden began to reassess his life choices.
“I was planning on going to med school, which is kind of comical in and of itself because I was pre-diabetic and hypertensive ... I was questioning what I wanted to do with life, and at that time I got connected with some new friends that were huge into personal development and growth,” he said.
Roden then read a book, “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy, which changed his perspective on weight loss.
“The whole philosophy is really simple ... if you lose two pounds (0.9 kg) a week for 100 weeks, you lose 200 pounds (90.7 kg),” Roden said. “I fell in love with reading [about] the mindset for change.”
Roden took his weight loss one day at a time and eventually started seeing results. He lost his first 100 pounds (approx. 45 kgs) by playing pickup basketball with friends, walking outdoors, and incline walking on a treadmill. He ditched junk food and began experimenting with low-carb, high-protein diet options of around 3,000 calories per day.
Over three years, Roden dropped from 410 to 220 pounds. He then had two excess skin removal surgeries and reassessed the body he was left with, saying, “I just felt wiry ... I didn’t have the aesthetic physique that I wanted.”
He then found his solution in strength training and bodybuilding. At 27, he competed in his first bodybuilding show.
“Competition is fun for me,” Roden said. “I just enjoy that process of how much lean muscle mass I put on, how lean I get, safely. This became my fun way of competing with myself.”
At Roden’s most recent bodybuilding show, he weighed in at 208 pounds (approx. 94 kg) with 10 percent body fat. His physical transformation is profound; however, he shared that the mental element is even more so.
“Four hundred pounds me and the way I am now [are] truly two different people, two different lives,” he said. “I’m grateful 400 pounds gave me a lot of perspectives: how much control we really do have, how habit and the compound effect really can drive us in the right places, but can also destroy our quality of life. But it’s not just about weight loss. It’s about building a good relationship with yourself across the board.”
You can end up with poor self-image after weight loss, said Roden, who champions a “character-driven life” and living congruently with your values. “I absolutely love the person I am and the life I live now ... I value my health, I value my body, but I don’t give it an unrealistic expectation,” he said.
Through his transformation journey, Roden has had the support of loved ones. Some friends had a hard time losing their beloved “funny fat guy,” but most have recognized the health benefits of his choices with some of them even garnering inspiration from him.
Roden said: “Early on in my weight loss transformation, I did notice I had friends and family around me make better decisions, so they lost some weight. It is cool knowing that just by helping yourself, you indirectly help people around you ... my dad in particular has made comments like, ‘David, you don’t understand what you did; I witnessed the worst end of what this life brings, with heart disease and heart failure.’”
Roden is also no longer pre-diabetic or hypertensive and has been off all medications for the last six years. He currently owns and runs an obesity transformation company and credits “tools and tactics” for maintaining his healthy/sustainable lifestyle.
He has a regular workout schedule and manages his diet based on his bodybuilding goals. To get ready for a show he weighs his food and tracks his protein, carb, and fat intake.
“If my goal is maintenance, I just use the scale,” he said. “If I’m slowly gaining weight, well guess what? I’m overeating. Maintaining my weight within five to 10 pounds? Doing great. If I’m losing weight, I’m under-eating.”
