After turning to food for emotional support - Alex Solomin's weight was spiralling out of control.
Weighing 26 stone aged 20 years old, he was struggling with minor tasks such as climbing stairs or bending over - and doctors warned him he might not live past 30.
Determined to do something about his weight, Alex, now 31, from New York decided to start walking 10,000 steps a day after buying a Fitbit.
Incredibly, he lost six-stone just by walking the recommended ten-thousand steps per day and then shed another four with simple weights.
Now fitness coach Alex has shared how he decided to turn his life around.
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His weight problems began when he was six years old, when he and his mother emigrated from Russia to the United States. Starting a new school, without speaking any English, Alex was a target for bullies and turned to food to cope.
As a teenager, he would stay inside playing video games, ordering pizza or Chinese food when he felt hungry.
The bullying and the weight gain took a massive toll on Alex’s self-esteem; minor tasks like climbing stairs or bending over were painfully difficult, and his weight made him think he would never get a girlfriend.
Feeling worried about his health aged 20, he decided to see his doctor for a long-avoided check-up – and received life-changing news.
The doctor warned him he was pre-diabetic, with high blood pressure and a fatty liver. If he didn’t change soon, Alex wouldn’t live to see 30.
Worried about pushing himself too hard and losing motivation, he began exercising slowly – just by walking. As his fitness level increased, he began walking more, until he was regularly doing 10,000 steps per day, and the weight began to shed.
"So many things led to my weight gain. Being a new kid in school, with hand-me-down clothes and without a word of English, caused me to be bullied by other kids from an early age," said Alex.
"This had an impact on my self-esteem and my outlet was food. Coupled with the fact that this new country had so many amazingly delicious food choices, it was the perfect formula for an incredible weight gain.
"Kids my age would call me fat-ass, useless – always something to do with food or being fat and lazy.
"Later in my teenage years, I discovered computer games, and my weight gain went through the roof.
"I used video games as an escape that allowed me to be someone I couldn’t be in real life.
"I spent anywhere between 10 to 14 hours per day playing games, and whenever I was hungry, I ordered whatever food I desired – usually from a pizzeria or Chinese takeaway.
"Every day I was uncomfortable, and I thought that was how I would have to live for the rest of my life.
"Going up a flight of stairs felt like running a marathon. Bending down to tie my shoes was nearly impossible and I used to sweat profusely while performing daily errands.
"On top of that, engaging with the opposite sex wasn’t even a thought in my mind, since I didn’t think I was even capable of having a girlfriend.
"I wasn’t living, I was just existing. The turning point was when I went to the doctor’s office for a check-up when I was twenty. I had usually tried to avoid it at all costs.
"He told me that I wouldn’t live to be thirty at the rate I was going. It hit me like a freight train. I imagined all the things I would miss out on if I kept going down this dark path.
"No family, no kids, no travelling the world – no possibility of a future. I didn’t know what I would have to do to lose the weight, but I knew I had to.
"Starting out, I had no idea what I was doing. I knew that people that lose weight usually eat clean and do a lot of cardio, so that’s what I started doing. I didn’t run, I didn’t do high-intensity workouts – I walked.
"I lost 80-pounds this way, but I didn’t feel the way I wanted to feel. I was skinny with no muscle, and I knew that I had to start working out with weights.
"Afterwards, I began searching on Google how to gain muscle and lose fat. This led me to a bodybuilding website, where I read their articles and started to dabble in weight training.
"I fell in love with building muscle and getting stronger, which allowed me to lose over 50-pounds over the next few years.”
This complete lifestyle change has improved Alex’s health both mentally and physically, and now he feels worlds away from the shy recluse he used to be.
"Losing weight has improved my life on so many levels,” Alex said. "I’ve not only improved my physical health, but my mental health too. I’m way more confident now, and I actually enjoy socialising with people.
“I don’t cringe any time I see a photo or video of myself, whereas before, I used to avoid cameras by any means necessary.
“I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and it’s all a direct result of taking my life and my health into my own hands and working on it relentlessly.
"People tend to think that they have to do everything possible while losing weight and do it perfectly – but that’s completely wrong.
"By aiming for perfection, you set yourself up for failure because perfection isn’t sustainable.
"Figure it out as you go. The goal should be to be a little bit better today than you were yesterday.
"Consistency isn’t built with perfection, which is why being good enough is all you need."
