Even by mean kid standards, Anthony Bayer's childhood was a special kind of cruel. Tipping the scale at over 345 pounds with a 42-inch waist, he was a prime teasing target for kids. It stung doubly from girls, who both teased and rejected him.
Yet his luck with love seemed to look up at last in his final year of high school. Sadly for Bayer, it was far from it. However, the drama that night would mark the start of an incredible personal story.
A Teen Girl’s Cruel Prank That Changed a Boy’s Life
With high school winding down and a school dance looming, an overweight and unsure Bayer went for it. To be specific, he got the nerve to ask out his crush. He recalled to Metro thinking that he must have been crazy. To his shock, instead of laughing, she said yes.
Bayer said that he was so excited, he got a new haircut, a shiny new suit and even rented a limo for the special soirée. Nothing prepared him for his arrival at her house.
"I wanted to impress her. I nervously drove to her house, walked up and rang the bell. She opened it and just said 'Sorry, you’re too fat to fit through the door' and slammed the door in my face."
That's right, it was all a twisted prank. Despite being heartbroken and crying in the limo, Bayer still went to the dance. However, he was bullied by the entire school all night once word of the prank got around.
After that, Bayer spiraled into a deep depression that lasted years after high school ended. "I never thought anyone could love me and that I’d be alone forever," he said.
With no self-esteem, Bayer filled the void with a food addiction that saw him consume around 10,000 calories a day. To put that in context, that's almost twice the intake of an NFL offensive lineman.
When he was told that he was on the verge of being type-2 diabetic, it was Bayer who had to take a timeout. With the motivation to act, what followed was a heroic comeback, with a twist not to be missed.
A Bullied Teen Boy’s Comeback Story
The health scare was the wake-up call that Bayer needed. Out were the pity parties and fatty foods, in were working out and home cooking. 130 pounds lighter, that bloated boy is now a chiseled man brimming with confidence.
The real surprise for Bayer came when he checked his phone one day and couldn't believe his eyes.
It was none other than the cruel girl who pranked him that night at the dance. She somehow got his digits and texted him, apologizing for being a bully and asking him out on a date.
Bayer says thanks, but he'll pass.
"I couldn’t believe it and didn’t even reply. I’ll forgive, but I would never forget."
How a Bullied Man Proves That Living Well Is the Best Revenge
Now on a mission to help others turn around their lives, Bayer started a personal training business called Transform Your Future. With his drive, who would dare doubt his success?
His message to others struggling is simple. "Just never give up, even when everything seems hopeless."
Nelson Mandela once said that "Resentment is like drinking poison and hoping it will kill your enemies." For years, Bayer fed his own resentment with fast food and it almost killed him.
Then he did what winners do, he got to work. He used his past as fuel on his path to his new, better-than-ever self. Breaking away from our past is hard, but only when we do can we be our best. And you can bet that the haters will be kicking themselves.
