Yasmeen Hamadeh
A man who lost almost 400 pounds purely through lifestyle changes is trying to raise $100,000 for the one surgery he does need - the removal of his excess skin.
Cole Prochaska, from South Carolina, has gone viral for documenting his dramatic weight loss journey online that solely relied on changing his lifestyle.
Speaking to TODAY in 2023, Prochaska revealed that he once weighed 585 pounds - the maximum number his scale could display and the weight of three men combined.
It's estimated he used to eat around 5,000 calories a day.
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“I felt pretty bad,” he recalled to TODAY. “I would always put on a happy exterior because that’s what a lot of big people do. But I was a pretty lonely person.
"You don’t want to go to anything because you don’t want to have to worry about fitting in the chairs and worry about having to walk very far, what you’re going to wear.”
Prochaska then completely turned his life around and adopted a healthier routine where he’d walk at least 10,000 steps every day, hit the gym three times a week for weight lifting, and enjoy a healthier diet filled with protein.
After two years of work, never turning to weight-loss drugs or surgery, Prochaska now weighs around 226 pounds and is maintaining that number.
Although he says he’s never felt better, Prochaska’s weight loss has left him with an excess of loose skin around his body which he admits to feeling insecure about.
“I’m trapped,” he shared to TODAY. “I’ve lost all this weight and I have muscles, but if I take my shirt off, I’m still self-conscious about all the loose skin.
"I’ve got loose skin on my legs, so if I try to go running, it’s hard to run.
"I have to wear a pant size bigger than I should because I’ve got my skin tucked into my pants from my stomach.”
He started a GoFundMe page in 2023 with the hope of raising money for surgery to remove his excess skin, and decided to post shirtless pictures of himself despite feeling apprehensive about it to hopefully inspire others.
“I needed to show everybody all the skin I have and how far I’ve come and just embrace it,” he recalled to TODAY. “And that’s what I did.”
As of 2024, Prochaska’s GoFundMe page has raised over $75,000 in donations from over 2,000 users.
He continues to post updates of his journey on his Instagram and he’s currently trying to raise $100,000 to accommodate his multiple surgeries.
He says in the GoFundMe: "I first estimated $60K but now I know I will have no less than three surgeries and will have to stay in California 4 weeks after each surgery.
"I have to think bigger and I regret that, but I'm increasing my goal to $100,000."
He told Today: “I just want to keep helping inspire as many people as possible to overcome whatever it is that they’re battling, but definitely people who are trying to lose weight.
“You’re never too far gone. It’s never too late. You can always come back.”