How incredible is the story of how a man that overcame the trauma of the death of his son, the breakdown of his relationship and homelessness to lose 200lbs? It’s awesome!
Tony, now 51, who at 398lbs was morbidly obese due to a 30-year career in the fast food industry. He describes how his weight spiralled out of control as a teen when he overate frequently because he never knew where his next meal would come from. The stress of the birth of a severely handicapped son at 21 saw him seek further comfort in food.
Tragically, it is during his very first workout on the show, Extreme Weight Loss with host and mentor Chris Powell that Tony learns son Marcus, after 28 years with cerebral palsy, may not live much longer.
“I’m here fighting for my life and he’s in the hospital fighting for his …,” Mims said tearfully.
But even though news like that would make any father break down and stop every thing, Tony only breaks down as he takes in the devastating news, but refuses to be swayed from his goal and continues undeterred with his new regime.
Tony’s challenges do not end there. His efforts to lose weight spark rows with his fiancée Leslie, who cannot embrace his new healthy-living lifestyle. 168 days into the year-long weight loss plan, the couple decide to go their separate ways. The split leaves him homeless and he ends up sleeping in his car until he finds a new place to live. He is at the lowest of the low point in his life and the weight-loss progress slows down.
CHECK THIS OUT: The First Step In Weight Loss Is To Get Fed Up
Some weeks on, the situation worsens still when his son Marcus does eventually passes away, and Tony mourns at his burial.
While the time was tough, the funeral provides a reunion with his other son, Tony Junior, who is stunned to learn that his father has been homeless. While others in Tony’s position might have sought comfort in junk food, or slipped into a deep depression, Tony refused to give up.
At his nine-month weigh-in, Tony was back on track…
…, weighing in at 226lbs. The show awards him with a $50,000 cash prize for getting so far, which provides him with the means to rent a home again.
Luckily for Tony, the journey documented on the show ends on a high. Since the taping, he has kept his weight down too. In a follow-up interview he reveals that though he continues to work in the food industry, he has not touched fast food in two years.
He is even working on a cookbook of the low-calorie recipes he credits with helping him drop the weight.
‘My favourite is the low-fat mac’n’cheese. But to get that,’ he quips, ‘you have to buy the book!’
And Tony’s happy ending didn’t stop at his newfound health and physique after dropping down to 198. He found a new love along the way, proposing to her after the program wrapped filming.
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