Who: Jeff Roth
Occupation: Business owner
City: St. Albert, Alta
Age: 37
By The Numbers: 285 pounds at my heaviest, currently at 175 pounds, for a total weight loss of 110 pounds.
The Weight Gain: I was always heavy as a child, and always an over-eater. In my family, if you didn’t eat fast, you might not have gotten seconds. My dad would eat most of the food in the house, so from a young age I started hiding food and eating compulsively.
It was tough as a kid, always being bugged about my size, wanting to change, but never receiving the support I needed to be successful.
Final Straw: In the summer of 2008, while working in the garden of my acreage, life decided to remind me of my mortality. I was taking a wheelbarrow full of weeds to a specific composing corner of the yard. My dog was out enjoying the day as well and usually never left my side. On my return trip to the garden, I noticed that she had caught the scent of something to hunt and was no longer interested in what I was doing. I called a few times but finding out what that neighbourhood fox was up to won the attention of my Labrador. On to plan B, I decided to run with the wheel barrow back to the garden in hopes to spark the game of chase. Of course, it worked and she flew across the yard in a straight line towards me. That day I ran roughly 150 to 200 feet with an empty wheel barrow.
"It was the first time since high school that I had run further than 10 feet. It was also the closest to death I had ever felt."
That day was the day I decided that being 29 years old and feeling like my heart was about to explode in my chest from a slow 50 metre dash was not right. I remember this day vividly because it was the day that terrified me. I ended up sitting in my garden trying to catch my breath, and as I sat there alone, staring at the ground, I began to realize it was time to make a serious changes. It was the first time since high school that I had run further than 10 feet. It was also the closest to death I had ever felt.
Story continues below.
Check out more of our inspiring weight loss stories: