So many of us try to park as close to the doors as possible when we go shopping, but shouldn’t we be parking farther away for the exercise? Showing how the simple act of walking can lead to much-desired weight loss, one man managed to lose an astonishing 300 pounds by walking to Walmart. [1]
Source: ABC News
Meet Pat
Pasquale “Pat” Brocco, 31, used to be all pudge, tipping the scales at 605 pounds. That was 3 years ago. These days, Brocco weighs half that, and his once-flabby arms are now bulging biceps. How’d he do it? He walked to Walmart whenever he got hungry.
Said Brocco:
“You walk to Walmart 3 times a day and you end up walking 6 miles. It’s amazing because I never walked 6 miles in my life and I was doing it every day.”
Read: Power Walking: One of the Best Complete Exercises Around
When Brocco’s journey began, he had high blood pressure, his cholesterol was soaring, and he knew his health was a ticking time bomb. He described his flabby physique:
“My stomach was down to my thighs. My chest was hanging down there. I was disgusted.”
No Choice but to Change
Doctors told him he needed to make changes, and fast, or he would die an early death. That was the catalyst that got Brocco on his feet and moving. He tossed his junk food and dairy products in the trash, and replaced them with vegetables, brown rice, quinoa, steel cut oatmeal, and lean meats. [2]
“Once I figured out dairy was my downfall, I took it out of my diet, and instantly I started losing weight again.”
Take a look at what Brocco used to eat before he got healthy (about 11,200 calories per day):
- Box of cereal
- 1/2 gallon whole milk
- 1 package peanut butter cups
- 1 candy bar
- 12-inch meatball and cheese submarine sandwich
- 100 fast food chicken nuggets
- 1 fast food apple pie
- 1 fast food milkshake
- 2 liters soda
- 4 doughnuts
Now compare that to what he eats now (about 2,250 calories a day):
- 2 gallons water
- About 20 egg whites
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 24 ounces chicken breast
- Green beans
- 6 ounces ground lean bison
- 32 almonds
- 1/2 sweet potato
Read: Bison is a Healthier Alternative to Beef
Working off the Weight
When he got hungry for some of that healthy grub, he walked from his Avondale, Arizona, home to his local Walmart. Prepared foods were off-limits, as Brocco opted instead to buy fresh ingredients and cook his meals at home. [1]
It only took 2 years to drop 200 pounds. A lighter frame meant Brocco, formerly known as “Fat Pat,” could start hitting the gym, and hitting it hard. He explained:
“I mean, at 600 pounds I couldn’t even go to the gym. I didn’t fit on the machines.”
Soon he was walking to Walmart every day, eating healthy, and incorporating uphill treadmill walks and weightlifting into his routine, leading to an overall drop of 330 pounds.
Losing over 300 pounds required Brocco to have about 30 pounds of excess skin removed. He underwent the surgery on August 15, and is now recovering at home. [2]
But Brocco’s efforts weren’t just for his own sake; he has a family to think of. He said:
“I’m setting an example for my son, so he can be ‘Possible Pat’ (instead of ‘Fat Pat’).”
Sources:
[1] New York Post
[2] ABC News
ABC News
ABC News