Armed with a weight loss app and a dream of travel, an Illinois man lost over 500 pounds and totally turned his life around.

Rafael Zuniga lives in Blue Island, Illinois, and just a few years ago, he tipped the scales at over 800 pounds. He tells WGN TV that job stresses and a bad break up sent his life, and his weight, spiraling out of control. He found himself confined to his house, using alcohol and food as therapy, and when he realized that he could no longer bathe himself without help, he knew he needed to make a change.

Yes, Zuniga had been diagnosed as "morbidly obese" by doctors and suffered from several medical ailments due to his weight, but his ultimate motivation to lose over half his body weight was to go on a vacation. That is when he found the free Lose It! appThis app allows you to set a weight loss goal and daily calorie count, track your food and exercise and more.

I don't know about you, but with swimsuit season around the corner and more baby weight to shed, I find Zuniga's story inspiring. If he can lose that much weight without surgery, surely I can lose 20 pounds too, right?

Read more about his journey and find some personal inspiration here.

 

 

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