As a teenager, Anthony Bayer was relentlessly bullied for his weight. After years spent as the subject of cruel jokes, Anthony finally decided that enough was enough. Once he shed the weight, people began to notice—even somebody who used to give him the cold shoulder...
Alone Forever
From an early age, Anthony Bayer was convinced he was unlovable. Anthony didn't have an easy life, and he often found solace in only one thing: fast food. As the number on the scale began to climb, so did the cruel comments Anthony was forced to endure from people at school.
Living With Struggles
Five years ago, Bayer was told by his doctor that he needed to change his ways. With his health on the line, Anthony was finally encouraged to work toward changing his habits, and the results certainly paid off. Although Anthony never forgot his past, it looks like his past didn't forget him, either...
Difficult Life
Anthony was put into foster care at the age of 13. His traumatic experiences while in the system led him to overeat in search of comfort, resulting in rapid weight gain. His diet soon spiraled out of control.
Radical Diet
Every day, Anthony was taking in nearly 10,000 calories. For breakfast, Anthony would devour two foot-long meatball subs with a two-liter bottle of Coke. His lunch consisted of a large KFC burger box meal and a four-pack of Magnum ice creams. Then, for dinner, Anthony would eat two large pizzas and yet another two-liter bottle of Coke.
Bulled in High School
High school was difficult for Anthony. His peers made fun of him for his size. "Kids are always cruel to anyone who looks different, so I had it rough," he said. Even Anthony's longtime crush took part in playing a horrible prank on him...
Brutal Joke
Anthony really liked one of the girls at his school. "She was very popular, and all the guys thought she was the hottest girl in our grade," he explained. He thought she was beautiful and finally mustered up the courage to ask her to the school dance...
Unexpected Reaction
It was Anthony's last year of school, so he figured, "Why not?" He thought she would reject him right off the bat and laugh in his face. Anthony couldn't believe it when she said yes. He was so excited that he went the whole nine yards to make the night as special as possible...
Dressed to Impress
Anthony was desperate to impress his crush. He was so excited to attend the dance with her that he bought himself a brand new suit, got a haircut, and even hired a limousine. Unfortunately, when he got to her house, he realized his mistake...
Worst Moment of His Life
On the day of the dance, Anthony nervously drove to her house, walked up to her door, and rang the bell. When his crush answered, she said, "Sorry, you're too fat to fit through the door," and then she slammed the door in his face.
Brokenhearted
Anthony was devastated. He went back to the limo and cried his eyes out. After allowing himself time to be upset, he figured that he had a suit on, so he might as well go to the dance anyway. Sadly, it didn't go to plan...
Relentlessly Bullied
Anthony ended up having a terrible time. When his classmates found out what happened, they laughed and made fun of him all night long. After that night, Anthony sank into a major depression...
Sinking Deeper
Anthony convinced himself that he was going to be alone forever. He thought that nobody could ever love him. As he grew to loathe himself more and more, his eating habits worsened, taking a significant toll on his health...
Risking His Health
In 2014, Anthony visited a doctor who warned him that he was about to develop Type 2 diabetes. The knowledge that Anthony's eating habits could cost him his life, along with insecurities from being obese, led him to make a decision that would totally transform his life.
Going Through Changes
When the doctor told him the news, Anthony broke down in tears and realized that he needed to change his ways. He stopped binging on fast food right away and started cooking for himself instead. It wasn't long before Anthony set foot in a gym for the first time...
Transformation
At his heaviest, Anthony weighed 346 pounds. The wake-up call inspired him to work out and start eating in a way that would nourish his body instead of punishing it. In five years, he lost over 130 pounds of fat!
New Life
Anthony's diet improved substantially—he went from eating fast food to healthy, homecooked meals consisting of rice, oats, meat, and vegetables. He still allowed himself dessert, too! Once he learned how to treat his body properly, he noticed other changes happening in his life...
Better Days
Despite being constantly rejected by women in his youth whenever he approached them, Anthony suddenly found himself the subject of their affections. He was getting asked on dates left and right. He had never received such positive attention before...
Confidence
He went from having 3 Tinder matches to over 1,000. It began to dawn on Anthony that he felt confident in his own skin, and other people had begun to see him for who he really was. Still, Anthony couldn't help but feel shocked when a certain someone reached out to him...
Reaching Out
Anthony was stunned when the woman who had rejected so cruelly him all those years ago at the school dance sent him a text asking him out on a date. She complimented Anthony's new appearance and asked if she could make it up to him for how she treated him all those years ago.
Ghosted
"I couldn't believe it and didn't even reply," Anthony said. "I'll forgive, but I would never forget." Instead of feeling spiteful, Anthony took the opportunity to reflect on his own journey...
Helping Others
Anthony had gone through so much to get to this point, but he knew that his past and the experiences through which he suffered helped shape him into the man he was today. He was proud of himself for pulling through, and he wanted to share his own struggles with those who might be going through something similar...
New Life
The 26-year-old went from wearing size 42 pants and 3XL shirts to weighing just over 210 pounds. He wanted to tell his story to help inspire anyone who needed the extra push to get healthy. Anthony channeled his energy into creating a business to help other people embark on their fitness journey...
Transform Your Future
Anthony opened his own training business called "Transform Your Future." He invited anyone looking to change their lifestyle to join him on the road to better health. To Anthony, a gym is more than just a building...
Inspiring Words
"It's the only place that's ever been there for me in my hard times, the one place that I can call home that will always be there without a doubt," Anthony wrote on Facebook. He encourages all his followers: "Be the change you want to be." But he knows all too well that it's easier said than done...
Mental Health Awareness
Since battling his own depression and an eating disorder, Anthony has been vocal about supporting those who may be battling mental illness. He felt like he lost almost all of his teenage years to depression and never got to truly feel like a "normal" boy...
It Gets Better
He wants others to recognize that they are in no way failures for doing what they could to stay alive, even if that meant sacrificing years of their lives to mental illness. "I am so proud of you, you’re trying your hardest to get to the top even though it may be harder now, you could have given up but you haven't, and for that you are victorious and I am in awe of you," Anthony said.
Coping With Anxiety
Anthony's own struggle with his mental health was an ongoing journey. Although he had managed to overcome his worst bout of depression, he still dealt with anxiety on a daily basis. Thankfully, instead of relapsing, he was able to use the gym as an outlet for his stress, which is one of the ways he encourages others to deal with their own anxiety.
Handling Fame
Anthony was totally blown away by the reaction to his story, which had been shared and viewed millions of times across various platforms. He never thought that his own journey would make such a visceral impact on the world. The praise and congratulations came pouring in, and Anthony was overwhelmed with gratitude...
New Opportunity
Anthony's story inspired so many that he was asked if he wanted to participate in a documentary about his life and weight loss! He was finally confident enough to be seen on the big screen. In the meanwhile, Anthony tried his hand at auditioning for one of the most popular reality TV shows...
Big Brother
Even though Anthony didn't make it onto Big Brother 2020, he went all the way to the final interview stage. Maybe next year! Hopefully, Anthony makes the show one day, so he can share his weight loss story and continue to inspire others to make the changes they need to get healthy.