Eli’s 100-Pound Weight Loss: ‘I Make My Health as Much a Priority as My Family and My Work’

Weight-Loss Win is an original Yahoo Health series that shares the inspiring stories of people who have shed pounds healthfully.

Eli Sapharti is 45, 6 feet tall, and in 2008 he weighed 290 pounds. Today, he’s dropped to 190 pounds. This is the story of his weight-loss journey.

The turning point

I knew my weight was a problem since I was a child — when I was constantly teased and no one wanted to pick me to be on their team for sports. My nicknames ranged from “Fat Boy” to “Fat Ass” and later, “Rice and Beans,” a name my football coach gave me because of my Cuban heritage and because rice and beans are fattening foods. By the time I got to adulthood, I was well aware that my weight had been out of control for years, especially since I had developed high blood pressure, high cholesterol/triglycerides, and prediabetes (insulin resistance). I struggled with severe anxiety and panic attacks on a daily basis for years.

I had spent two decades going on and off all kinds of radical diets. Every New Year, I made the same resolution, joined a gym, and only showed up a few times before giving up the membership (and the diet) completely. I also spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on books and exercise programs advertised on infomercials that only ended up collecting dust on a shelf. During these periods, I did lose weight — anywhere from 10 to 50 pounds — but every time I’d gain it all back, and then some.

In March 2008, I was at the airport traveling internationally for business, and while buying a bottle of water before boarding my flight, the young, attractive female clerk at the kiosk said to me “You know, you’re very good looking for a big guy.” Most guys would have loved to get a compliment like that from an attractive woman. But all I heard was, "YOU’RE FAT! YOU’RE A FAT PIG!” I politely said, “Thank you?” But my heart, my mind, and my soul ached. It wasn’t like I didn’t know I was fat, but at that precise moment, I had an epiphany. That entire trip — from the exhausting walk to the gate where I was sweating profusely, to the very uncomfortable looks from fellow passengers praying I wasn’t going to sit next to them, to barely fitting in the seat and nearly needing a seatbelt extender — I could not stop thinking about how fat I was and how on Earth I had let myself get like this.

The changes

While on that business trip, I lay in my hotel bed thinking not only about how I got to that point, but also about how I was going to stop this downward spiral of becoming fatter and sicker. I thought of all the diets I had been on and how many workout plans I had attempted with very minor and temporary success that eventually led to total failure. It was at that moment that I committed to making two small changes in order to be at least a little healthier: 1) I committed to walking for 15 minutes every day and 2) I quit drinking regular soft drinks. I used to drink two liters of soda per day!

Committing to two changes — cutting out soda and walking every day — helped Eli achieve his weight-loss goals. (Photos courtesy of Eli Sapharti)

I committed to only these two changes — as small as they were — knowing that they were steps in the right direction. After one week, I had lost two pounds! After two weeks, I was down another two pounds! I was so incredibly excited that — while still eating pizza, burgers, pasta, breads, french fries, and more — I had still lost four pounds through these small changes! Since these simple changes earned me a four-pound loss, I chose to add to them and take another step. I added five minutes to my daily walk, for a total of 20 minutes, and I eliminated fried foods from my diet. As the weeks went by, my weight continued to drop, and I continued to get more motivated, which in turn only made me make some more changes. Eventually, I added small spurts of jogging to my walks, which led me to run one mile, two miles, three miles … they all added up.

Today, I have completed 10 half marathons, countless 5Ks and 10Ks, a Spartan Race, and a full marathon, and I am currently training to run the NYC Marathon in November. All of the small changes and small steps forward are what I call my “one step at a time” approach to sustainable weight loss. Focusing on only the day at hand made it feel easy. There was nothing to give up; the steps I was taking were doable. I never set a goal that I didn’t feel was doable.

The after

Over the course of 14 months, I dropped to 180 pounds. My body felt relieved after losing those 110 pounds. (I currently weigh 190 pounds due to gaining muscle mass.) My blood pressure was better at 40 years old than it was at 25. I was free of all previous ailments — including my severe anxiety and panic disorder. Mentally, I felt stronger and much more confident! For the first time in my life, I truly believed that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to. Emotionally, it was a huge transition. At this time in my life, I found myself dating again after a divorce from an 18-year marriage. This was a bit difficult for me because at first I still saw myself as the fat guy. Even when others saw my physical appearance as “handsome” or “attractive,” it took me a few years to accept that I was no longer the guy that women only wanted to be friends with or the guy that men didn’t want on their team.

Eli went from weighing 290 pounds to 190 pounds today. (Photos courtesy of Eli Sapharti)

But the best part of all of this, by far, is that I have found my passion and my life’s calling — which is to help others achieve their own greatness through my motivational talks, my very active social media accounts, and my book.

My diet on a daily basis is almost always the same. It includes a balanced combination of lean meats/fowl; complex carbohydrates like brown rice, oatmeal, or sweet potato; and healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, avocado, or flaxseed. I make sure to spread out my meals throughout the day and eat every three to four hours. I now also include protein shakes and certain supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids, CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), and BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids).

Eli went from barely going to the gym to running 10 half marathons, countless 5Ks and 10Ks, a Spartan Race, and a full marathon. (Photos courtesy of Eli Sapharti)

Indulgences for me today are much different than they were years ago. At the beginning of my weight-loss journey, once I eliminated a certain food from my diet, I refrained from eating it — even occasionally. But as my lifestyle evolved and I became an athlete, I began to allow myself certain foods that I consider indulgences, such as pizza, cake, frozen yogurt, popcorn, and wine. For the most part, though, my weekday nutrition is on point because it helps me to keep up with my athletic lifestyle. On the weekends, I now allow myself a little “wiggle” room to enjoy wine, frozen yogurt, and maybe some extra carbs that I don’t typically have during the week.

The maintenance (and struggles)

Maintaining is the hardest part of weight loss. There is no finish line. Many people set a goal to lose X number of pounds and once they get there, slip back into the same bad habits that got them to be overweight in the first place. My success in maintaining my weight loss is that I make my health as much a priority as my family and my work. I commit to exercising daily. The way I motivate myself even when I don’t feel like moving is by saying that I will “just go to the gym” or “just get outside” for a run. I tell myself that I only have to get there — even if it’s to stand on the treadmill or outside for 10 minutes. If after 10 minutes I still don’t feel like working out, I give myself permission to go home. In seven years of doing this, I’ve never gone home.

Advice

Most of us who have dealt with or are dealing with being significantly overweight have an all-or-nothing mentality. This way of thinking leads to compulsive bouts of dieting and exercising that always end in failure. The best advice I can give others looking to lose weight and keep it off is to look at what small change they can make now toward a healthier lifestyle. Do that small thing until it becomes a habit. Then add to that change … one step at a time.

For more on Eli and his inspiring work and approach, check out his website Fat Boy Fit Man.

Weight-Loss Win is authored by Andie Mitchell, who underwent a transformative 135-pound weight loss of her own. Have a success story to share? We want to hear it. Tell us at [email protected].