A superfit soldier who ballooned to 28-and-a-half stone from stress eating following a roadside bomb attack in Iraq has undergone a dramatic transformation and lost a staggering 175lbs.
Combat veteran Nat Goncalves, 36, suffered mental health issues after surviving the IED explosion and was sent home to recouperate in 2009 before he was medically discharged in 2012.
But he turned to food for comfort and began binge eating, often consuming up to 7,000 calories a day.
Nat went on to graduate from law school and began work as an attorney for the Department of Homeland Security.
He also also founded founded ‘Equal Justice Works’ in 2018 which does pro-bono work for low-income and homeless veterans, focusing on healthcare benefits and family reintegration.
Nat, from Los Angeles, California, USA, said: “I was in good shape. I was in the army infantry. On Easter Sunday, 2009, we were ambushed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
“When I got back home to L.A., I struggled with mental health issues. I gained 220 pounds. At my heaviest, in December 2019, I weighed 400 pounds.
“From a caloric perspective, I was eating somewhere in the 6,000 to 7,000 range every single day. It’s kind of painful to think about my old eating habits. I’d go through about four drive-thrus a day.
“Breakfast would be two Egg McMuffins, three hash browns, two apple pies, and a large Dr. Pepper. For lunch, I’d usually have something obnoxious like a large burrito with cheese fries.
“Before dinner, I’d sneak out and get Jack in the Box or some kind of fast food before coming home to eat with my family.
“I also had barely any physical activity. I would guess there were days where I didn’t crack 1,000 steps.”
Nat decided he had to get a grip with his weight issues as it was compromising his ability to practice law.
He said: “Everything is difficult when you’re 400 pounds. I was constantly sweating in front of the judge and my clients.
“I’d work up a sweat walking from the parking lot to the courtroom, and then my anxiety would spike because I thought people were staring at me. Then I’d sweat more.
“Outside of the courtroom, boarding an airplane was stressful. Even finding suits that fit me was difficult.
“I had to go to big and tall stores and wear stuff that looked terrible.”
Nat decided that enough was enough and elected to get VSG surgery (Vertical sleeve gastrectomy) in December of 2019, shrinking his stomach to a fraction of its original size.
He added: “The doctor legitimately told me the surgery would add 20 years to my life. Over the past year, I’ve lost 175 pounds. I now weigh around 220.
“I almost feel like I don’t even know the person I used to be. I sleep differently and eat differently.
“I start the day with a fasted cardio workout. Then I’ll break my fast with a fruit and veggie protein smoothie.
“For lunch, I’ll do a fish or chicken breast with some vegetables. Dinner is typically a different version of stuff I’d have for lunch.
“I’m eating between 1,500 and 2,200 calories a day now. I also exercise daily, lifting weights with cardio days in between.
“That said, if I wanna have a steak and potato once in a while, it’s fine.
“I’ve tried super strict and rigid diets before but there was always a breaking point. I’m focusing more on moderation.”
Nat claims his love life has improved so muchsSince losing the weight, that he’s been going on several dates a week.
He added: “I’m single and just enjoying the process. Last year I would have never had the confidence to put myself on a dating app and now I go on three or four dates-a-week.”
Nat is currently searching for plastic surgeons to remove the excess skin left by his incredible weight loss.