Man Gets Smart about Diet, Exercise – Loses 180 Pounds
by Allie Comeau on May 4, 2008 
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Brandon Hollas was raised on a farm in Texas and grew up eating rich, calorie-laden home-cooked meals. He didn’t know much about nutrition and didn’t get much exercise. His weight kept him from competing in school sports and he became more and more depressed the bigger he got.
When he went to college weighing 380 pounds, he realized something had to change. So he took matters into his own hands, sought the information he needed, and adopted a healthier lifestyle. Four years later he had lost 180 pounds – 50 of those pounds in the first six months. He did so by working out at the gym, eliminating soda from his diet, and making healthy eating choices.
From the article on CNN…
Hollas also joined the recreation center on campus and started riding an exercise bicycle. He lost 50 pounds within six months. The weight loss motivated him to begin learning about health and fitness at the school’s library and in men’s health magazines.
“I wasn’t educated about how to eat right or how to lose weight,” Hollas recalled. “I read all about nutrition, how to change meals to make them [healthier].”
He also started eating more lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, fiber and good carbohydrates.
Brandon’s story is inspirational, but also representative of the obesity epidemic as a whole – most of it comes down to education. Knowing how your body works, how to work it out, and how to fuel it properly is essential to good health. As essential as the hard work it takes to maintain it.
“I have learned that there are no fast, easy ways out of being heavy,” said Hollas. “But [with] a lot of simple changes and commitments, it is a rather easy thing to do.”
We wish you continued success, Brandon! Here’s to a healthy future.
