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Man Decides to Lose Weight Because He Doesnt Want to Die Alone - Now, Hes a Tattooed Model
Uplifting News

Man Decides to Lose Weight Because He Doesnt Want to Die Alone - Now, Hes a Tattooed Model

Humans come in all shapes and sizes, and our weight should never be tied to our self-worth. However, we also have to feel good in our own skin. Unfortunately, sometimes, our habits can be a sign that we’re not actually happy deep down.That was the case for a man named Kevin Creekman, who one day realized he needed to make significant changes in his life in order to feel more secure and happy.Struggles Early on in LifeCreekman struggled with his weight ever since he was a kid. In an interview with Brand New Me, he recalled how his younger self just didn’t participate in life. Instead, he stayed home and played World of Warcraft and ate junk food. For a time, he figured there was no point in doing anything else.“I never had a girlfriend. I never was out partying,” he recalled. “I was a pretty addicted World of Warcraft player. My whole life was just spinning around this video game.”You see, Creekman had been overweight even as a child in Germany and found stretchmarks on himself by the age of 10. By the time he was 18, He weighed more than 335 pounds and was bullied a lot. It was around that point that he had a major realization.“I started to lose a lot of weight because I didn’t want to die alone… I didn’t do any sports, so I figured the key was nutrition to lose weight, basically,” he said.Making Some Major ChangesIn an interview with Metro UK, Creekman explained that he had already tried several diets that didn’t work. This time was different, though. He found a friend who also wanted to lose weight, and together, slowly and steadily, they began a structured eating plan and exercise. Eventually, it worked.“I lost about 80 kilos in one year and suddenly I found myself in a new body, to take a second chance at life,” he told the publication.“A new form of willpower was born, to work really hard for everything I want to achieve in life, because I started to believe that everything is possible!”Things didn’t completely change though. Creekman was still insecure about his looks, particularly after his 180-pound transformation left him with loose skin. And, after two surgeries to remove it, he had scars.“I didn’t feel confident because of all those scars,” he continued. “I just wanted to take my shirt off without having to tell people about my story of losing weight.”A Brand New OutlookTo focus on the future and feel like the best version of himself, Creekman turned to tattoos. He felt they were the best way forward and a way to write a new story for himself.“To start a new life, I felt I needed to cover my scars and hide my past. To be free in my skin, without thinking about what other people could see or think about me, that is related to my past,” he explained.Creekman loved the way the tattoos looked and made him feel, so he continued covering himself with art. Eventually, insecurity became confidence.“More and more I feel to be that person I always try to look like,” he said. “My tattoos were the last puzzle piece to build strength, confidence and freedom in my skin.”These days, Creekman is covered in tattoos and has gained fame for his look. He has 1.5 million followers on Instagram, has acted, and is a musician. However, he’s also a social worker and spends his working hours helping refugees learn in German schools.“I believe that everything is achievable. You just need to find what you really want and who you really want to be in life,” he added. “Everything between you and your dream is just willpower and discipline.”Investing in OurselvesThis man’s story is inspiring because he went from one physical extreme to the other. It’s a heartwarming reminder that hard work, willpower, and discipline do pay off. But that’s applicable to all areas of life, not just our looks.Our weight doesn’t define us, but we also have the power to pursue change. We have the power to pursue that dream job, invest in powerful friendships, find a chosen family, or learn a hobby that makes our hearts happy.The most important lesson in this story is that we all need to take time to invest in ourselves. Life can get busy, sure, but we’ve all only got one life to live.More from Goalcast:Man Looks Unrecognizable After Losing Nearly 300 LBS in Remarkable Weight Loss Journey That He Credits to His Late Father How One Woman’s 150-Pound Weight Loss Journey Completely Changed Her Outlook on LifeAdele Has Always Been A Champion Of Self-Love, Both Before And After The Weight Loss

Unruly Customer Leaves Restaurant Harsh Review - Instantly Regrets It
Uplifting News

Unruly Customer Leaves Restaurant Harsh Review - Instantly Regrets It

Proof that the customer isn't always right.Review describes great food, but Ryanair-style managementSo many of us rely on reviews to determine where to eat. The thing is, oftentimes the bad reviews are about an extremely specific situation that probably would never happen again or they make no sense at all. Still, good and bad reviews seem to level themselves out.In the case of Sticky Walnut in Cheshire, reviews on TripAdvisor portray a damn good restaurant. The Modern European restaurant scores 4.5 out of 5 stars for nearly 2,000 reviews. On Google Maps, it's much of the same with a rating of 4.7 out of almost 500 reviews. The restaurant has also received accolades outside of customer reviews, ranking in the top 100 for the National Restaurant Awards in the UK.But if you dig into the reviews on TripAdvisor, as BoredPanda did, there's one two-star review that stands out. In the July 2021 review titled "Excellent food let down by Ryanair style management," which has since been taken down, the reviewer describes how the food is "very, very tasty," but the "restaurant management doesn't give a toss about customer experience."The review continues: "A restaurant that aspires to offer fine dining experience but has lost the ability to empathize with customers and ignores them when they complain? That really is a shame."The owner claps backWhat's unique about this review is that the owner of Sticky Walnut responded, and oh, what a response it was. "For goodness sake Robert. I'm supposed to be in TwitAdvisor retirement so let's not waste any time," wrote the owner, Gary Usher. "After all, you've waited 11 years since joining Twitadvisor to write your first review. Rob, you reserved a table on a Friday evening and agreed to a 1 hour-45 minute time slot. A standard practice, particularly on busy periods, that guests and restaurants worldwide agree to. After your dessert course, the manager, who you said 'doesn't give a toss,' gently reminded you that we would need the table back shortly. You ignored the manager and proceeded to order another round of drinks.""Perhaps if your party had arrived on time for your reservation this could have been avoided."Gary UsherUsher continued to explain how the manager came back to politely ask the group to leave, but the reviewer, Rob, got up out of his seat, towering over the manager and pointing at him in the face."Sir, can you please stop pointing in my face," the manager said, but the customer and his mother responded by saying he wasn't qualified to do his job.The reviewer then had the balls to ask for free drinks before saying he'd contact the owner, who he's allegedly friends with, about the situation.Owner stands by loyal staffUsher revealed that, of course, Rob isn't his friend. Every few months in a restaurant a rude guest will use the 'I know the owner!' line to try and intimidate team members and bully them into thinking that they will get into trouble because they didn’t look after the owner’s ‘friends’ well enough,” said Usher. "I did ‘give a toss’, but not about you Rob, but about the way you treated the team,” the owner added. "So instead of replying to you we chose to block your number, and your mum’s, and put a note on our booking system to not accept any future bookings from you.”Gary UsherFinally, Usher defended his manager. “With regards to the manager who ‘doesn’t give a toss’ they have managed Sticky Walnut for the last 8 years. Coincidentally the same length of time that Sticky Walnut has achieved a top 100 position in the National Restaurant Awards in the UK. I think that makes them both extremely deserving to be the manager and absolutely qualified to hold that position.” Usher then signed off with "Not your mate, Gary — another owner you don't actually know."Stand up for yourselfWe always hear that the first rule of business is the customer is always right, but in reality, they aren't. This entitled customer thought he could do whatever he wanted despite agreeing to the restaurant's Friday night policy, and then he thought he deserved free drinks. And if all that wasn't enough, he left a poor review that could discourage others from visiting Sticky Walnut.The lesson here is not to fight back against every critique — criticism can make you stronger. But that it's important to stand up for yourself and for those you respect.More uplifting stories:TikTok Prankster Unexpectedly Befriends Homeless Man, Helps Him Get Out Of DebtMan Finally Meets Mystery Neighbor He’s Been Playing Piano Duets With For WeeksAnti-Timeout Mom Reveals Game-Changing Parenting Tip In Viral Tik Tok PostHow A Kidnapping Survivor Who Escaped From A Car Trunk Is Saving Lives

Mom Defends Herself After Rude Woman Body Shames Her At Grocery Store
Emotional Health

Mom Defends Herself After Rude Woman Body Shames Her At Grocery Store

One mother defended herself againast a body-shaming stranger with a passionate message we all need to hear. Frozen section27-year-old Charli Stevens of Columbus Ohio was at the grocery store with her five-month-old sonwhen she noticed a stranger staring at her, who appeared to be speaking to her.Stevens explained that she assumed the stranger was saying "GO BUCKEYES!" since she was wearing the hometown college football team's shirt and they were playing later that day.However, nothing could have prepared her for what the woman was actually saying: “I think your clothes are a little too small on you.”Stevens was floored."I was completely shocked and so caught off guard that the only thing I could say was, ‘Excuse me?’"- Charli StevensThe stranger followed with, “Well no offense, but you’re just a bit big to wear those types of clothes.”When Stevens began to cry, the stranger didn't let up.“I’m not trying to be mean, but you should reconsider your outfit before leaving the house,” she said.A shaken Stevens placed the items from her cart back on the shelf and retreated back to her car.Checkout counter In a Facebook post that has since been removed, Stevens had some choice words for the insensitive stranger, starting with her story. “How are people so rude? It’s no secret that I’ve gained weight throughout life. I’ve birthed two kids so it’s bound to happen. Do I realize I’m overweight? Yes. Do I want to be smaller? Yes. But am I okay with the way I look? Yes!!”Stevens then continued by pointing out that the real damage from these types of mean comments is more than just skin deep."Why would a complete stranger go out of their way to insult someone? What if I was severely depressed? Or what if I was constantly made fun of for my weight and that one comment from that stranger pushed me over the edge."- Charli StevensSupportstormSupportive comments poured in, with many delivering a brutal reality-check to the cold stranger. “When someone judges you. It says nothing about you. But it says everything about them!” commented one follower.“You are beautiful. People who try to bring down others only do so because they hate their life and regret things they’ve done or didn’t do. When people are rude and hateful, usually it’s just a mirror of themselves. Don’t let anyone bring you down,” added another.Kindness is crucialStevens is quick to point out that her message has zero to do with clout and everything to do with compassion. "I really hope those that read my post will just remember to instill kindness in their children’s lives, because our children are our future."- Charli Stevens While the commenters are likely right about the mean stranger's own insecurities, the real power for change lies in us.As Stevens mentioned, it's the power of compassion, of recognizing that we can't possibly know what someone is truly going through. By considering that, we can all be kinder with our words and more attentive with our actions so that we can all thrive.More uplifting stories:Man Defends Mother Who Got Body-Shamed By Rude Plane PassengerInstagram Influencer’s Ridiculous Attempt At Fat-Shaming Woman Quickly BackfiresCompassionate Boss Helps Employee Who’s Sleeping On Job Turn Life AroundWoman Unceremoniously Dumps Toxic Boyfriend After Constant Body Shaming