Transformation: Charlie Crabtree Destroys a 171 Pound Weight Loss!

April 2014 to April 2015  |  12 months  |  @Ctree61

Charlie stood in front of a mirror for half an hour on the morning of 17 April and worked out that his life was halfway over. He lost 171 pounds in the twelve months that followed.

Where he started

Charlie describes himself before as a very negative person with no ambition. He flunked out of college because he partied and never aspired to anything better. His self-esteem was at an all-time low, and he made jokes about his own weight to seem secure about it, when it was really the biggest thing holding him back.

The turning point

He calls it a revelation. He woke on the morning of 17 April and stared into the mirror for close to thirty minutes. That was the point he understood that if he did not change, if he did not at least make an effort, his life was halfway over.

What he changed

He had always enjoyed lifting, even before he knew much. The cut was built around a five-day split: chest and biceps, back and triceps, legs, shoulders, and a second leg day, with abdominal work every day and twenty to thirty minutes of daily cardio.

As he learned more he leaned into supersets and dropsets, working in hypertrophy rep ranges to keep his heart rate up through the whole session.

On food he calls himself an advocate of IIFYM with bro-diet tendencies. He kept macros low through most of the cut, and the bulk of what he ate was nutrient-dense: whole wheats, steamed vegetables, egg whites and grilled chicken.

The hardest part

The learning curve. He says he was clueless to the point of it being comedic. He had the determination and the willpower, but not the knowledge of how to actually get it done.

He is candid about three mistakes. Letting himself get that big in the first place. Checking the scale too often and weighting numbers over how he looked and felt. And setting his intake too low at the start, which cost him muscle early on, because he was still learning.

Where he is now

Losing 171 pounds in the first year, without surgery, is the accomplishment he names, and the fact that it was purely hard work is what made it feel earned. He was still cutting at the time of writing, working toward 187 pounds and a 200-pound total loss, after a 24-week reverse diet.

What he took from it: he learned what he was capable of mentally and physically, he learned to train properly and use weightlifting rather than cardio alone, and he learned confidence and self-worth he had never had.

Losing weight is tough, but with the right mentality, you're tougher. Charlie Crabtree

His advice if you are starting today

Stick with it, no matter what. Some days are exhaustion and hunger and regret, especially sitting at the wing place with your own pre-packed meal while everyone else eats. It pays off. Enjoy your time in the gym and appreciate every ounce of it, because that is what shapes you.

Results vary. This customer's results are not typical and depend on individual effort, training, nutrition and consistency. Statements on this page describe one customer's personal experience and have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. No product mentioned is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.