Cool

Man’s Incredible Weight-Loss Journey Leads To $76k Fundraiser For Skin Removal Surgery

The internet has rallied behind a man who felt “trapped” in excess skin after an inspiring weight-loss transformation.

40-year-old Cole Prochaska reminds us all that it’s never too late to make a change. He used to weigh “as much as three men” but shed weight until he became the size of “one.”

But after his incredible weight-loss journey, he was saddled by excess skin.

Enter the goodwill of wholesome strangers on the internet, who raised a jaw-dropping $76K for Cole’s skin removal surgery.

Prochaska lost hundreds of pounds naturally, without steroids or gastric bypass surgery

The American man laid bare his phenomenal transformation, shedding a staggering amount of weight that’s hard to wrap your head around.

“It’s very hard to share a shirtless picture but I’ve come so far!” Cole confessed on his GoFundMe page. “I know it is hard for some of you to look at. People didn’t believe in me, but I believed in myself.”

Cole now frequents the gym with a passion. Rejecting the usual aids of steroids or gastric bypass surgery, his journey was one of sheer will and sweat.

“I’m trapped” — Cole says the excess skin has been extremely difficult to live with

Now Cole is fighting a new battle, this time with the loose skin that drapes his transformed body, a stark reminder of his former self.

With over 361 pounds down, Cole now deals with constant discomfort. He spoke of the need to “tuck” his abundant skin into his trousers, hiding it beneath baggy clothes to mask the folds.

“I have been heavy since I was six years old and at 38, I have never walked on a beach without a shirt on and always avoided pool parties,” Cole said.

He lamented, “I’m still trapped. Due to this extra skin. I’m asking for financial help.”

Cole turned to GoFundMe for help affording his skin removal surgery

In his quest for physical freedom, Cole turned to GoFundMe, seeking financial support for a skin-removal surgery that promised liberation.

“I first estimated $60K but now I know I will have no less than three surgeries and will have to stay in California four weeks after each surgery,” he said.

As of June 25, the determined South Carolinian has raised $76,407 towards his $100,000 goal.

Cole had struggled with his weight his whole life

Growing up big and only getting bigger, Cole’s adult life was marred by overeating and a sedentary existence.

He would regularly go through bags of chips and could drink a 12-pack of soda cans in a day.

Exercising seemed a herculean task as Cole was often too winded to move significantly. “I felt pretty bad, I would always put on a happy exterior because that’s what a lot of big people do. But I was a pretty lonely person,” he told Today.

“You don’t want to go to anything because you don’t want to have to worry about fitting in the chairs and worry about having to walk very far, what you’re going to wear.”

A crumbling seven-year relationship ignited his transformation.

“I knew she had lost respect for me because I was just a really big person and didn’t do anything, and I wasn’t going anywhere in life where I needed to go.”

Cole took his remarkable weight-loss journey step by step

Cole’s metamorphosis began with humble steps—literally. Initially managing a couple of blocks, his resolve strengthened with each day. Adopting a healthier diet devoid of sweets, snacks, and sodas, he replaced them with water and began counting calories while focusing on high-protein foods.

He eventually joined a gym, embracing bodyweight training and a steadfast goal of walking at least 10,000 steps daily.

By December 2023, Cole was smashing his walking goals, averaging about 15,000 steps daily and once hitting a record 27,000. His routine now involves lengthy walks during work breaks and treadmill sessions at the gym, supplemented by five-mile jaunts on his days off.

Cole thanked his new followers and donors for their incredible generosity

“He’s going to have to get rid of that or he’s going to get sores and infections” — the internet reacts to Cole’s journey

H/T

Read More: 40 Funny Minimalist Comics Combining Simplicity With Earnest Wholesomeness

 

 

Alex Buscemi

Alex Buscemi

Writer. Billionaire. Astronaut. Compulsive liar.

@whatsupboosh on socials.