Jesse Beatus

I started by dialing back on portions.

Vitals: Jesse Beatus, 29, Port Washington, NY
Occupation: Real estate analyst
Height: 5'8"
Before: 222lbs.
After: 148lbs.
Time to Goal: 14 months

The Setback

When I stopped rowing, my chubby side took over. I'd been on the crew team in college, but one morning my knee popped and I stopped doing cardio. After graduation, my body ballooned. At 26, I hit my heaviest. My back ached, my neck hurt, I had no energy, and my self-esteem was shattered. And gorging on Italian food, I couldn't believe the person I was turning into.

The Food

I started by dialing back on portions, and then I swapped bad food for good food. I replaced pizza lunches with healthy wraps. I planned dinners around hearty salads. I dumped the soda and drank protein shakes and green tea. As I exercised, my weight dropped and I started gaining muscle.

The Fitness

It took me 5 months of doing an hour of cardio and weights each day to build the strength and energy to run 5 miles. I pushed myself on the bench and, eventually, at 148 pounds, I was benching 300—that's 40 pounds more than my 1-rep max back in college. Now I live for chest days packed with pullups. I've even worked a rowing machine into my routine.

The Reward

Last year I completed a grueling 12-mile obstacle event—and never quit. In fact, when I crossed the finish line pain-free, I figured I still had about 6 miles left in the tank. As a formerly heavy guy who could once barely walk, I couldn't have been more proud of all my hard work.

http://my.menshealth.com-->