At 50, He Went From 290 Pounds to 165 Pounds With Whole30 and Paleo

E.J. Hunyadi had struggled with his weight for 20 years before 2015, when he was around 312 pounds at age 50. His cousin Sara prompted the change by asking him, "What if I told you that you can lose weight and get healthy without having to do any exercise at all?"

He started with a 30-day Whole30 program, losing 20 pounds in that first month, then transitioned to a Paleo diet for the long term. On his doctors' advice, he did no exercise at all until he dropped below 200 pounds, only beginning to run — eventually three miles, three times a week — about a year into the change.

Hunyadi lost the majority of his weight within that first year, ultimately losing 147 pounds and settling at 165 pounds. He maintains the loss through daily weigh-ins, strict Paleo eating with no snacks or sweets, bringing lunch to work, and eating dinner at home with his wife.

The transformation was significant enough that he returned to National Guard service and scored 273 on the Army Physical Fitness Test. He continues to document his ongoing journey on a personal blog.