Wes Whitaker, 36, a banking onboarding program manager who lives in Westfield, Indiana, loved to run. He also ate as much as he wanted while maintaining his physique. Then came fatherhood. As he adjusted to being a first-time dad, he began skipping more workouts and eating more unhealthy meals. The once active running enthusiast was getting short of breath carrying his daughter up the stairs. It took a random weigh-in to see how much he let himself go—reaching an all-time high of 277 pounds. Instead of spiraling over the weight gain, Wes took it as a challenge. He used a goal of completing a triathlon to fuel himself to make several lifestyle changes. Learn more about his quest to drop over 90 pounds in 15 months.
IT WAS 2018, and I had lost 30 pounds on a low-carb diet. I was feeling good and completed a half-marathon after losing the bulk of the weight. I was inspired to take on physical fitness challenges because of the energy and renewed health I had as part of the weight loss. Since I was exercising so much, I could eat whatever I wanted and still maintain my numbers. Once I stopped training, I kept eating without limits.
So I started gaining weight again. I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten—I was in deep denial. It didn’t help that I’d just become a first-time parent, so it was easy to grab an unhealthy meal. I could justify skipping a workout on parenthood.
Still, the weight gain was getting harder to ignore. I felt miserable. I had no energy, lacked motivation, was constantly tired, and found myself short of breath from everyday activities, like carrying my daughter up the stairs, getting down on the ground to play toys with her, and mowing the lawn. I also suffered joint pain and migraines. I became super self-conscious about my body and wore baggy clothes as a way to hide my weight.
The Wake-Up Call
In February 2024, I turned 35. I impulsively stepped on the scale one day and was shocked to see the number: 277 pounds. This was the heaviest by far I had been in my adult life.
Standing on the scale, I realized a few things. I come from a family where diabetes is common. I was seeing the devastating effects of the condition happening in real-time to the people I love. I was putting myself at high-risk for diabetes by being overweight myself.
There were other realizations I largely ignored. I’d grown out of all of the clothes in my closet. My daughter would want me to play with her, but I could only do it for a few moments before I had to stop to catch my breath. I needed to be able to show up for her, and be the dad she deserves.
I had to do something different. This decision prompted me to join the Virta Health Program, a low-carb lifestyle program.
I Learned That Weight Loss Requires a Strategy
I started my weight loss transformation by limiting my daily total carb intake to 30 grams or less per day. I didn’t have “cheat meals” or take days off. I wanted to get mentally strong and build new habits that I could sustain.
Virta provided great guidance on examples of appropriate foods to eat but it was really my personal responsibility to check labels and ensure what I was eating was fitting within my carb allotment. Most of my diet shifted to eliminating breads, pasta, and sugar.
I learned to be strategic to stay healthy. In the past, I didn’t plan my meals. I often ended up grabbing fast food, or whatever I felt like eating at the moment. I started to do meal prep for the week on Sunday, either pre-making my food, or mapping out what I’ll eat. This allows me better portion control.
A typical meal plan after starting Virta was eggs and bacon/sausage for breakfast. For lunch I would have deli meat, cheese, and egg wraps. Dinner involved a protein like pork, fish, steak and a vegetable like broccoli and cauliflower. If I was craving something sweet, I would have sugar-free Jello or resort to the Virta recipe book for low-carb options that had no sugar or sugar alternatives.
I also use a carb and protein tracking app to help manage my intake throughout the day. I travel often for work, so I typically look at menus ahead of time to determine what I can have when I arrive at a destination.
I Set A Major Workout Goal
I didn’t start working out right away. I lost 37 pounds just by changing my diet in the first three months. When my energy started to come back, I started working out again.
When I started working out again, I was 240 pounds. I found an online plan to schedule out four days of running and lifting weights. At first, it was hard. But the mental toughness I’d learned by sticking to my dietary changes helped me lock in. I lost over 50 pounds after I started working out and running again along with my new diet plan.
Because I’m a goal-oriented person, I wanted to work toward a clear objective. It came when I was watching the Summer 2024 Olympics. It gave me a burst of passion and I decided then and there to do a triathlon. I wanted to measure my overall fitness level. I began training and set a goal of preparing for the triathlon.
In September 2024, I did it. It was a huge accomplishment for me. My ultimate goal is to improve my times enough to qualify for and complete the seven Abbot World Major Marathons.
How I Feel Now
The majority of my total weight loss happened within 15 months. By May 2025, I was down over 90 pounds. Most importantly, I’ve managed to keep the weight off. I’m down three clothing sizes, and feel no more embarrassment or awkwardness. All the health issues I was experiencing are gone. I have never felt this good in my entire adult life.
From losing the weight, I learned that with mental toughness, intentional choices, and relentless determination, you can do anything you set your mind to do. When I crossed the finish line of my first full marathon, I went from “I think I can” to “I know I will.” There were weeks where the numbers on the scale plateaued. But I knew I could do this, and it would be worth the work.
There is no better time than now to start your own weight loss journey. If you would have told me in February 2024 when I was unable to chase my daughter around the house that I would be 90 pounds lighter and running full marathons today, I would have said you were crazy.
There’s a saying that “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” That was really true for me. By planning ahead for meals and my exercise regimen, I was really able to push through. So many people get discouraged or stop going because they allow circumstances to dictate their success. I’ve learned to take control of the day and choices instead.
Lisa is an internationally established health writer whose credits include Good Housekeeping, Prevention, Men’s Health, Oprah Daily, Woman’s Day, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, Glamour, The Washington Post, WebMD, Medscape, The Los Angeles Times, Parade, Health, Self, Family Circle and Seventeen. She is the author of eight best-selling books, including The Essentials of Theater.
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