A 31-year-old man who was left bedridden after eating McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 14 long years finally underwent bypass surgery and lost more than half of his weight.
Damian Burgoyne from Australia spent $174,000 on burgers and fries for more than a decade, leaving him so big that he became unable to take a shower on his own or get dressed.
His weight also prompted hurtful remarks from bullies who called him ‘Back Boob Betty’ and ‘Fat Dyslexic Pig.’
Damian, who is one of five siblings, was still young when he noticed that he was the biggest among them. Even though they were all eating the same meals every day, his brothers stayed slim while he kept gaining weight.
At 14, he got his first job at McDonald’s. He decided to spend his money on food but his weight went out of control.
“Everything I did revolved around food,” he said. “It’s insane, when you add up how much I spent over my life. At the time it seemed cheaper than grocery shopping, it was just easier to get takeaway.”
Damian said food was like a comfort blanket for him as his school years were filled with negativity surrounding his weight problems.
“I’ve been called every name under the sun, the only way I dealt with it was to laugh and act like their words didn’t hurt me but then behind doors I’d eat and eat to make myself happy but really their words cut deep,” he expressed.
“I hated myself, I was so embarrassed and ashamed that I got to that weight. My anxiety was the worst and stopped me from doing a lot.”
Because of his size, Damien had agonizing back problems. He was stuck in bed for almost a day, getting up only to go to the fridge or the bathroom.
“My anxiety was probably the most crippling, the fear of being seen in public would completely freak me out to the point I’d struggle to breathe,” he continued.
“I couldn’t walk into shops, I couldn’t put petrol in the car. My anxiety took over my life.”
Aside from anxiety, he said that he also suffered from depression when he was stuck in bed for 23 hours a day. There were also times when he found it difficult to breathe in the middle of the night.
“I didn’t see the point in existing. I wasn’t living, I was just existing.”
But after watching the TV show ‘My 600lb Life,’ he realized that he still had a chance to turn his life around.
“Seeing those bedridden people change their life due weight loss surgery is how I found out about it,” Damian shared.
After mini-bypass surgery and skin removal surgery, along with a balanced diet and weight training, he went down from 215kg to 88kg in less than three years.
“The best comments I have got is when they say wow you look so much happier within yourself and it shines through,” he said. “I’m unstoppable and have achieved so much already.”
Damian no longer suffers from depression or anxiety. He said that he is living life and realizing his goals.
“I’m so proud of myself, I’m a handsome man and for once in my life I love how I look,” he added.
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