I Lost Weight: Matthew Berning Revamped His Eating Habits And Lost Over 70 Pounds

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Name: Matthew Berning
Age: 46
Height: 5' 11"
Before Weight: 253 pounds

How I Gained It: To say it was an overnight thing would be incorrect. Since I retired from the United States Air Force in 2008 it was a gradual process of too much eating, too many beers, too many snacks and not enough exercise. I had my foot reconstructed in 2010 and really didn't change any of my bad habits. I was unable to exercise at the time and the weight just added up.

Breaking Point: My wife and I went to my company's Christmas party in December of 2010. We got the pictures back, and I had one of those "Oh Sh!$" moments. I couldn't believe how big I had gotten. No one had ever said anything to me because everyone thought I carried my weight well. I couldn't believe I had [what seemed like] 15 chins where there should have been only one. It was an eye-opening experience to say the least. I knew right then and there I needed to do something about it.

How I Lost It: It was a gradual process starting in January 2011. I revamped my diet. I cut out all the breads, starches, sodas, snacks and alcohol at the very beginning. For breakfast, I would have a half cup of egg beaters, two eggs and turkey sausage. Two hours later, I would have a protein shake. Then for lunch I would have skinless chicken or some other type of lean meat and a vegetable like broccoli or cauliflower. I worked out in the evenings for two hours lifting weights and doing cardio. Interval training on the treadmill was the kicker. Between revamping my diet, lifting and cardio I would say the cardio portion was the key. And I finished my day by having another protein shake before bed. I know now that having a snack or a beer in moderation is not going to set me back; I'll burn that off and more in the gym. Moderation is the key.

I went from a size 40 pant to a size 30. I tried on a pair of my old pants and I was in shock at how big they were. It blew me away how big I was. After having three knee surgeries and both feet reconstructed, to say I was in pain when I ran or did exercise would be an understatement. Since I've lost the weight my knees, joints and my feet don't bother me. I am able to run on the treadmill or do a 5 mile run outside. I never lacked confidence, but now when other people notice how much I have changed it just brings a big smile both inside and out. I'm able to get outside with my kids and play ball with them without getting winded so fast. And my wife couldn't be happier with the new me.

After Weight: 180 pounds

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Comments

[SLM89]

10:39 PM on 09/04/2012

What about the wife? I see so many in shape guys with seriously over weight wives these days..

[AfroGoddess]

11:46 AM on 08/10/2012

That man is gorgeous! He has motivated me to lose weight. I'm already on my way but I want a man as fine as he is one day. Goodness gracious I know his wife is a happy woman! Good for them!

[SteppyToe]

12:12 PM on 08/09/2012

I can't believe some of the "trolls"...this man deserves applauds...not snide comments about steroid use and his wife. Through a lot of hard work, it is possible to obtain this physique in your 40's....naturally. Sure, everyone is not going to get his level of shred, because our bodies are all different. Nice job Matt!

[eaglewon]

12:05 PM on 07/15/2012

Very good, dude, now get the wife to shape up. She could definitely lose some, and she's not toned at all, and boobs are not tight. She needs to do more than just change her hair color.

[Veronica Gibson]

09:57 PM on 07/30/2012

If the wife could live with the husband when he was out of shape then the husband can live with the wife. He can't 'get' her to do anything she doesn't want to do herself. Imagine if the wife was bugging the husband to lose weight, do you think he'd have been successful?

[Mighty Midget Kitchen]

03:26 PM on 08/12/2012

Actually he could meet a hot young chick and divorce her, happens all the time when the hubby gets too hot for the wife.

[WinstonOno]

11:47 AM on 07/12/2012

Excellent story!! Thank you for the motivation!!

[poppadr3w]

12:08 AM on 07/12/2012

My personal story: I went out with a girl for about a year and a half. I stopped working out for awhile while we went out and we partied... a lot. We drank a lot of beer, ate unhealthily and so on. It was bad. I didn't realize until, just like in this story, I saw a picture of myself - I had fat accumulated like crazy under my chin, I had a belly that was evergrowing and my face itself was getting fat. Soon we broke up... One thing I decided to do was workout. It helped me through a deep depression, and I started to see difference. Before I knew it I was stronger and looking better, which I learned through compliments. I dropped like 15-20 lbs. and plateaued, but for a better reason - my muscle mass grew exponentially. Now we're back together, but I never gave up exercise. I workout 4-5 days a week, take whey protein, and I am working on my personal training certification. My pants are loose, I can see my veins in my arms and I feel much more confident.

[poppadr3w]

12:08 AM on 07/12/2012

DAYUM @ Picture #17.

Anyway, yes, moderation is key. I hate fad diets that state you can lose like 10 lbs. a week. It's unreal, and you're doing more damage than good at that point. You're losing muscle density, lean body mass and water, but very slight fat (if any).

Exercise and diet is KEY. Losing 1-2 lbs. per week is KEY. A nice combination of anaerobic and aerobic exercise is KEY.

The hardest part is that seeing results is generally "slow," although healthier. This causes a lot of people to stop after a short period of time. This is also an essential reason why keeping data on progression and positive support is another key to ensuring clients and people exercising keep with it.

[am44smith]

11:05 PM on 07/11/2012

Wow! What a truly inspiring transformation!

[rbailey67]

05:58 PM on 07/11/2012

It's amazing what proper eating habits and exercise will do. Here's yet another success story, it can be done.

[Rouvey]

04:03 PM on 07/13/2012

Judging by the overly shredded muscular look he has, steroids could be involved,,,just a hunch

[rbailey67]

03:04 PM on 07/14/2012

Maybe, maybe not.  I have been this cut in my 20s and 30s from just a proper diet and exercise, so it's possible.  I'm 45 now, so it's more difficult to maintain that body fat level. 

[SteppyToe]

12:02 PM on 08/09/2012

Not necessarily so...my hubby is in his 40's and has this kind of shredding....from natural body building....granted, its not a look everyone can achieve at this age... all our bodies are different. Reading the article, this guy has a very high protein diet...which is key to muscle mass, particularly at an age when our body doesn't build muscle well....you also have to have a very low fat diet...which apparently he has. I was in the Marine corps, and I've seen quite a few 'salty dogs' (late 30's early 40's) shredded like this.....and we were tested regulary for controlled substances. Most were extreme runners, so it kept the body fat very low..... so It can be done.....notice how this guy credits interval training and cardio in the article. There are also supplements like creatine (which occurs naturally in the body) that basically cause your muscles to hold more water...giving you the appearance of bulk.

[nonChristian]

04:27 PM on 07/11/2012

Woah He went from "Creepy" to "Circuit party hot". Extremely rare for a straight middle aged man.

[Rant Jemima]

12:24 AM on 07/13/2012

Exactly!

My GAYDAR is pinging OFF THE DIAL...that much time in the gym for any guy that age and jury's out.

Here's hoping he's coming to play for our team REAL SOON!! SO YUMMY!!!

[Pacific2]

10:04 AM on 07/11/2012

Congrats! Great job.

[cryptid12]

05:51 AM on 07/11/2012

He is def an inspiration to others...

[sweetpatriot]

11:55 PM on 07/10/2012

He look hot with that chest.Damn.

[Rant Jemima]

10:04 AM on 07/13/2012

Girl I saw him first...you keep away....he mine!!!!

[sweetpatriot]

11:22 AM on 07/13/2012

LMAO

[bmitche]

08:35 PM on 07/10/2012

WOW. 70 lbs. Good job matt !

[WWJJD]

07:47 PM on 07/10/2012

The trolls are out today, can't handle someone getting healthy and have to make disparaging comments about his looks and even about his wife. Envy isn't pretty. Matt looks great and so does his wife.

[Halcyon27]

08:42 AM on 07/11/2012

I'm intrigued as well by the need to trash this man's achievement. In a world were obesity is pandemic, and fat people are reviled (I am no fan of Christie, but the 24/7 fat jokes remind us that high school never ends), isn't it fascinating how quickly people turn on someone who goes in the other direction? The need to speculate on motive is another illuminating bit of human nature. The cynicism is breathtaking. One might argue, why post this story? But maybe the comments make it a persuasive case about the state of our discourse. Sometimes, anonymity on the internet provides opportunity to be graffiti artists of a very low order. As a culture, we are in our own thrall, ever ready to dismiss someone else's life-altering decisions about their health merely because we can. Why? Jealousy? Envy? Disgust? Disturbing and sad,

[JSDKoeln]

12:29 PM on 07/11/2012

eloquently put!

[catmagnet]

01:51 PM on 07/11/2012

I think it's also that misery loves company. After all, if they're so bogged down in excuses and lack the ambition to make a change in their lives, they need to drag down those of us that have been successful in our quests for a healthier life. Go figure.

[WWJJD]

04:00 PM on 07/11/2012

Great points. I need to lose a few pounds and SUCCESS stories like Matt's are inspiring. I am always happy for someone that accomplishes their goals.