Motivated and Inspired By His Wife, This Man Lost 100 Pounds

Richard James Adair, Jr., had been overweight for most of his life, but he had never made a conscious effort to change his unhealthy habits until he was inspired by his wife’s weight loss success.

“I would eat anything and everything,” Adair, a software architect from Red Lion, Pennsylvania, told Men’s Health. 

By the time he turned 40, he weighed over 300 pounds and he believes that working from home only helped him gain more.

“I started to get to the point that I was taking a break to catch my breath going upstairs for the night,” he said. “I couldn't even mow the lawn without multiple breaks.”

Then his wife decided to make a change

Adair had watched his wife try to lose weight with limited success until she discovered the keto diet.

Inspired by her success, Adair decided to give it a try. At 344 pounds, he started his own weight loss journey on New Year’s Day, 2019.

Adair couldn’t go full keto because he’d gotten his gallbladder removed, so he instead focused on cutting out as many carbs as possible. 

Five months in, Adair was comfortable with his diet and began counting his steps. His initial goal was 4,000 steps daily and he increased that number over time until he was walking 10,000 a day. 

Since then, he’s transitioned to counting calories, he cycles to work, and runs regularly.

In 10 months, Adair has lost 102 pounds, down to 242. His goal now is to drop another 23 by the end of the year.

“My quality of life has never been better,” he said. “I need to work to get winded now. My kids have trouble keeping up with me.”

He gives credit where credit's due

Adair said it wouldn’t have been possible without his wife’s support and encouragement. He credits her for showing him that change is possible.

“She has accomplished just as much as me, if not more,” he said. “I spent years feeling like I was so far behind that it would be easier to just ride it out until the end,” he continued.

Today, he looks forward to continuing his progress to a healthy weight and he’s eager to inspire others to do the same.

I would say to anyone that feels they can't begin this journey to just try.

Adair continued: "Pick something small and change it. Then pick something else and change it. Those small things add up and before you know it you have a new normal. A healthy normal."

Looking for more uplifting content? Check out our article of motivational quotes.

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• Marissa Schillaci-Kayton's Motivation to Lose 100 Pounds Came From an Unexpected Place
• Ian Sullivan Lost Nearly 150 Pounds Through Discipline and Healthy Addiction
• Jamie Bell Dropped 90 Pounds To Be a Healthy Role Model For Her Kids
• Angel Diaz Beats Food Addiction, Loses 191 Pounds to Be Present for His Family