John Burton is a Ph.D. student living in Belfast, Ireland, and over the past three years, he’s lost nearly 300 pounds. While this is a phenomenal achievement, he’ll be the first to tell you that it wasn’t easy, and that it took several years for a reason.
Growing up, John was always a bit on the heavier side, but it was a never severe issue until his teenage years.
“It was when I got to university and I didn’t have anyone looking at what I ate. It was all up to me,” he said. “I ate what I wanted whenever I wanted. And I never ate fruits and vegetables. I always had pizza and burgers and rubbish like that.”
John’s weight developed into obesity when he was 18 or 19. At that time, he’d drink a big bottle of coke or a pile of chocolate without even thinking about. John blames these bad eating habits on his tendency to be a picky eater as a child.
When John moved 2.5 hours away from home for college, he says that was the first time he was away from family and friends and had any responsibility when it came to his diet. This new environment led him to become more indulgent than ever and he began eating whatever foods he wanted.
In April 2008, John reached his peak weight of 420 pounds and was growing increasingly aware of his size. While seeing his doctor for an unrelated issue, John decided to seek out help
