The Most Inspiring Weight Loss Story I've Ever Seen--David E. Smith Lost 400 Pounds!

David E. Smith lived a miserable existence at 630 pounds, but...

The three primary objectives of my blog are rather simple: to educate, encourage, and inspire those who are looking for a life-changing experience when it comes to their weight and health. So many of you have written to me over the past few years thankful that I have shared my story of triple-digit low-carb weight loss success and I'm truly humbled by the awesome responsibility that have been given to me.

But today I have what I contend is the most inspiring weight loss story I've ever seen in my life! Except for the unbelievable weight loss journey being undertaken right now by Manuel Uribe, formerly "The World's Heaviest Man" when he weighed in a 1235 pounds in January 2006 and who has shed well over 400 pounds on the low-carb Zone diet, the amount of weight loss produced by an Arizonian named David E. Smith is unprecedented.

Have you heard about this guy yet? He is like Jimmy Moore--TIMES TWO!

It may be difficult to fathom what 630 pounds looks like, but here it is:



Seeing David walking around with no shirt on when he was well over 600 pounds brings back a lot of painful memories for me. Although I was "only" 410 pounds at my highest weight, the body image he had was similar to mine along with the wack-wack-waddle-waddle sauntering about trying to catch your next breath. Seeing those images of himself on video are probably what prompted David to finally get serious about his weight and health for good.

What David has gone through since he finally got serious about losing all of that weight over the past few years runs so parallel to my own experiences following a massive weight loss. It's kinda eerie hearing him talk about his struggles because they almost exactly mirror some of the same thoughts, emotions, and issues that I have or am going through as well. I would be willing to bet these are common themes amongst all of us who have lost more than 100 pounds.

According to his Bodybuilding.com page, this 6'2" tall man has been overweight for his entire life and was "written off by everyone, even myself."

"All of a sudden I woke up it seemed from my despair and I realized feeling sorry about my life wasn't going to solve my problems," David recalled. "I decided to change my existence."

David had a lot of reasons for his obesity, not the least of which was being molested by a friend he trusted when he was only six years old. Then the constant teasing and ridicule from being a loner caused David to sink deeper into his pit of despair that led him to eat just to cover up the pain. This is something that happens under such a cloud of secrecy as People magazine's January cover girl Mary Smith (no relation to David) has shared about her weight issues.

So David sought assistance for his dismal situation and reached out to a local television program called "Good Morning Arizona" to help him do just that. They implored the services of a personal trainer and weight loss coach named Chris Powell who was eager to help David take on the biggest challenge of his life! And the GREAT NEWS is David overcame his demons and HE DID IT!!!


From blubbery to absolutely buff, David has changed his life forever!

Check out this video following David's amazing weight loss:



And then this updated video following some skin removal surgeries:



Is it just me or are these news people who interview those of us who have lost large amounts of weight just plain dopey?! That reporter in the second video who asked if David confronts obese kids on the street now that he's lost his weight could not possibly be serious! Yeah, kid, you're fat, I was, now I'm not, you should lose weight, too. See how well that works for ya!

Ever since I lost my weight, I have had a strong desire to help people who want to lose weight. But you can't compel people who aren't ready. Talking to kids or even adults for that matter and telling them they are fat does nothing for them. However, when they are ready, these kids and adults will know who they can come to for help because they're watching you. David will be thrilled to give it to them, too, as do I.

I'm happy that David used a personal trainer during his weight loss and I'm getting ready to do that myself since I'd like to make my body a little more muscular than it is now. My legs are very strong, but my arms and upper torso need to be "pumped up" like that picture of David at the top of this post. He's done a fantastic job!

Interestingly, Chris only had David exercise three days a week to "prove weight loss could be done without a lot of it." How about that? So, his diet became an important aspect of this journey. What exactly was the diet?

It's something developed by Chris Powell called the STAX Nutrition System. This program is neat because it stores all of your food for the day in a convenient little carrying case with stackable containers of all the proteins, carbs, veggies, and fat you need to consume with a handy little timer that let's you know when it's time to eat. COOL!

See if any of these acceptable STAX foods look familiar:

protein powder, salads, eggs, cheese, almonds, walnuts, blueberries, spinach, butter, polish sausage, olive oil, cream, and even Ezekiel low-carb bread

Hey, that looks like livin' la vida low-carb to me! A closer examination of the meal plan reveals it is a moderate-fat, high-protein, lower-carb plan designed to remove the junk out of your diet. It's portion-controlled, but you eat a lot of meals throughout the day. If it worked for David as well as it did, then obviously it can work for many others, too! Find that plan that will work for YOU!


Losing 400 pounds has a rather unique side effect to it

But, just as I have blogged about quite extensively following my nearly 200-pound weight loss, David has some rather icky looking "loose skin" that makes him feel uncomfortable about going shirtless in public. He even said that he can't feel skinny until all of the skin is removed.

Boy, I couldn't agree more! It's been three years since my initial weight loss on the Atkins diet and I am stuck looking at the drooping and disgusting blob of skin that hangs from my tummy and inner thighs every single day. It CAN be discouraging, not matter how many compliments you receive from people about how good you look. I love to swim, but I can't go shirtless without feeling fat. That's somewhat disappointing.

For the most part, though, I've been able to deal with it because my financial situation does not permit me to have the skin removal surgery like David had. Granted, his problem was MUCH worse than mine as you can see in that picture of him, but I'd like to get that tummy tuck and thigh tuck done myself someday to complete the new me. It would probably make me more excited about resistance training so I can see the results I am producing underneath all that skin. Someday...

Today, David radiates with confidence and is humbled by all the attention he has garnered following his weight loss. He's obviously a shy man who is just now coming out of his shell to take on life in a way he never thought possible. This former morbidly obese 600-pounder is now working at the gym that helped him get his life back and he will now begin helping people who were just like him take their life back, too.

Paying it forward, sharing not just his knowledge but also his invaluable life's experience to give others hope for a better tomorrow. What an incredible triumph of the human spirit that deserves all the recognition and accolades that come the way of David E. Smith. You are my hero, buddy, and I wish you all the best in your long-term weight management and newly radically-transformed life!

Check out David Smith's MySpace page and be looking for his as-yet-untitled book about his weight loss experience. This man is set to inspire so many people that it is NEVER too late to get started on your weight loss plan. He's living proof that it CAN be done...you just gotta DO IT!