Ryan Kicked Junk Food & Dropped 50 Pounds | Transformation Story

Ryan's love of fast food took him nowhere fast, and his health suffered. A wake-up call in high school spurred his fit lifestyle and helped him drop over 50 pounds!
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Ryan Pitts was never a stranger to the lure of dessert. "I was the one who always licked the beaters and the bowl," he says with a chuckle. "Half of the dough wouldn't even end up getting cooked because I'd just eat it raw. Desserts were the first things I'd go for."
But the stomach doesn't discriminate, and whether savory or sweet, delicious food is delicious food. For Ryan, this meant that main meals were just as much of an indulgence. "I'd get two lunches at school because I'd wolf down the first one and wonder where the entrée was," he says. "I'd think, 'Why not?' They tasted good, and I was completely blind to how my eating was affecting my health."
It wasn't until later that the reality of Ryan's situation struck a chord. Sure, trips to the New England coast in T-shirts instead of swim trunks weren't ideal—and his post-vacation farmer's tan was no treat—but those slight annoyances weren't what triggered change. It wasn't until a back-to-school shopping trip that Ryan reached a real tipping point.
WHAT WAS YOUR DIET LIKE BEFORE YOU DECIDED TO TRANSFORM?
My family and I would eat out a lot, which was the source of the problem. A typical meal would be fast food, always supersized. I often stayed with my grandparents, and they would take us to McDonald's for breakfast. I was a fan of the sausage, egg, and cheese McMuffin meal—I would get two.
My grandparents also knew the owners of a Mexican restaurant, so we'd go there and get discounts, and they'd top off the meal with free desserts. Looking back, it was a lot, but when you're eating like that five days a week, it just becomes normal.
DESCRIBE YOUR "AHA MOMENT." WHAT MADE YOU CHANGE?
I was back-to-school shopping with my mother and grabbed a couple of XL shirts, which was the size I normally wore. She asked me to try them on, and I did. Except this time they were too tight. I refused to buy the XXL. I was so upset at myself and remember thinking, "This is out of control." Instead of giving in, I squeezed into the slightly-stretched-out, too-small size from the year before.
WAS THAT A BIG ENOUGH WAKE-UP CALL TO ALTER YOUR DIET AND HABITS?
It was, but the next week I received more bad news. I had to go to the doctor's for a physical so that I could play football, and after a few tests, I was told they didn't even want me to leave the office. My blood pressure was so high that it was comparable to that of a 60-year-old man. They tried to push medication on me, but I refused and got out of there. That's when I really decided to take action.
HOW DID YOU GAIN A FOOTHOLD IN FITNESS?
I decided that failure wasn't an option; I wasn't going to be a quitter. I had my mind set on what I wanted and where I was headed. Bodybuilding.com was my first step.
I took everything I learned on Bodybuilding.com, went to the gym, and just killed it. I'd choose the body part I wanted to target, go to the exercise tab, and make up a routine. Each week, I would try to increase the weight I used.
By the end of sophomore year, my two main goals were to deadlift 405 and hit 315 on bench. I met my deadlift goal but didn't get my bench until junior year—but I kept at it, which was the important part.
WHAT MOTIVATIONAL FORCE IN YOUR LIFE KEPT YOU GOING?
My father was a colonel in the Air Force, and through him I observed the kind of determination and hard work it takes to really get something you want. I saw that he made sacrifices to get where he wanted, and I realized I was going to have to do the same. His drive helped me get started and not give up on what I envisioned I'd one day look and feel like. I imagined resembling an ancient gladiator.
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